Levi & Jackie - Part 1
by Qu1ntus5
Summary: From a prince of another dimension to a student on Earth who is still a prince from another dimension, follow Levi Yoren and his best friend Jackie Lynn Thomas on their story as their bond grows as they live together and go on various adventures. But along the way, they must face issues that are close to home and help each other in their worst times. [Final Chapter released!]
1. Levi Arrives (or Falls) to Earth Part 1

**_Levi Arrives (or Falls) To Earth, Part 1  
Levi Yoren, an interdimensional prince, is transferred to Earth in order to understand better his eventual role of king._**

 _ _ ** **Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs. the Forces of Evil. It's owned by Daron Nefcy and D****__ _ _ ** **i****__ _ _ ** **sney.****__

* * *

A horizontal portal opens from the sky, and a 14-year old boy comes out of it, screaming, "AAAAAAHHHHHHH CURSE YOU DIMENSIONAL SCISSORS!"

He lands with a thud, in front of Echo Creek High School. He stood up, holding his head in pain.

The boy wears a white blazer with red stripes on the sleeves, a black short-sleeved undershirt beneath it, dark blue pants, and white sneakers. He also wears a black-and-red wristwatch on his left wrist. His appearance consists of slick black hair, light complexion, lean build, and deep hazel-irised eyes.

The boy's name is Levi Yoren.

"Owwwwww. Damn these scissors." He said as he sheathed his purple dimensional scissors.

"You might as well get used to them Levi. You will be staying here on Earth after all. That pair of scissors is part of your stuff, you know." A voice pops out from behind him.

"I know that, dad." Levi said, as he turned behind to see his parents, King Victor Yoren and Queen Corrina Anne Yoren.

"We're just looking out for you, son." Corrina said.

He smiled. "I know. I'll be off somewhere in the school, and you guys I guess... enroll me here then?"

"Exactly. We'll see you later, Levi."

"See you guys later."

With that, Levi walked away, leaving his parents to head to the principal's office.

Levi hears the bell ring, and the students pour out of the classrooms for break period.

He looks around. __'I'm so lost right now.'__ He thought.

"You seem very lost right now." A female voice spoke out. He turns to see a blonde-haired, green-eyed girl, similar to his age.

"Why thank you very much for voicing out my thoughts." He said sarcastically. The girl smirked. "A pleasure helping then." She said, with equal sarcasm.

They chuckled.

"So, what's your name?" She asked.

"I'm Levi Yoren. You?" He said.

"I'm-" She then got cut off.

"Jackie Lynn Thomas, please report to the principal's office." A voice spoke through the intercom.

The students oooohhhed' at that.

"Well, well, well, it's not everyday that you get called to the principal's office." She said.

"So that's your name. Pretty cool name if you ask me."

"Heh, thanks."

"So, being as you got called to the principal's office, mind if I come? That's where my parents are at."

"Sure, why not."

Jackie then got on her skateboard, and slowly skated away, accompanied by Levi, walking with her.

They soon arrived at the principal's office, and Jackie opened the door, revealing Principal Skeeves, Levi's parents, and Marco Diaz.

"Ah, good, you're here, Thomas. And you brought Yoren with you, saves us the time." Principal Skeeves said.

Upon seeing Marco, Jackie waved her hand, and said, "Hey Marco." Marco blushed upon seeing her, and said, "Hi... Jackie." He also waved his hand.

"So, what brings me here, Principal Skeeves?" Jackie asked, turning to the principal.

"One to skip past the pleasantries, eh Thomas? Anyways, the two adults here are Levi's parents, Victor Yoren and Corrina Anne Yoren. See, they've enrolled Levi here in this school as a foreign exchange student, for a good reason, and not because I was convinced because they gave me a generous donation to help the school."

 _ _'Right, as if that bullshit excuse would still work, Skeeves.'__ Jackie thought.

"Anyways, I want you to give Levi a tour of the school, show him around." Skeeves said, and he then turned to Levi. "Here's your class schedule, Levi. You start classes tomorrow." He then handed the paper to Levi, who accepted it. Skeeves then turned to Marco

"As for you Marco, you also have a foreign exchange student to give a tour to. Her name is Star Butterfly."

At the mention of Star's name, Levi's eyes widened.

 _ _'Star... she's here?'__ He thought. Jackie, seeing the surprised look in Levi's eyes, asked him in a whisper, "You know her?"

He responded with a whisper, "She's a good friend of mine from Mewni." Seeing the look of confusion on Jackie's face, he added, "I'll explain everything later." Jackie nodded.

"That's it for all of you here. Oh, by the way, Diaz, Thomas, you're both excused from your classes for the rest of the day. You're all dismissed." Skeeves said, and everyone went out of the office. Marco went to look for Star, while the other four stood outside of the principal's office.

"Well, it looks like we'll be leaving you here, son." Corrina Anne said.

Levi sadly frowned. "I'm gonna miss you guys." He then hugged his parents, who embraced him in return.

"We're gonna miss you too." They said.

Jackie, witnessing the event, let a silent tear fall off from her left eye. __'I wish my parents could hug me like that.'__ She sadly thought. She wiped the tear away, smiling at the family.

The two parents turned to Jackie. "Ah, you must be the girl Principal Skeeves called to, and was with Levi. Jackie Lynn Thomas, right?" Victor asked.

She nodded, saying, "Mmmmhmmm."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Jackie." Corrina said. She then leaned down and whispered at her ear, "Take care of our son, will you? We might not be back for a long time, so please." Jackie's eyes' widened, but she nodded.

"I'll try." She silently said, mostly to herself, but Corrina heard it nonetheless. She smiled at her words. She stood up.

"Alright then. We'll call you from time to time then, Levi." Corrina said.

"Don't worry, we'll find the time to call." Victor added.

"I'd love that." Levi said.

The parents smiled at him.

"We'll be off then." Victor said, and he used the dimensional scissors to open a portal.

Corrina kissed her son's forehead.

"See you soon, Levi." She said, and the two entered the portal, closing as soon as they entered it.

Levi turned to Jackie. "So, when's that tour gonna start?" Jackie smiled.

"Right about now."

Almost two hours later, Jackie finished her school tour for Levi.

"That's pretty much all of it. Any questions?" She asked him, as they stopped walking, ending at the lockers.

"Nah, not really." Levi said, and shrugged.

"Okay then. We still have an hour to spare, so what do you want to do?"

"Well, I heard earlier that Star's also here on Earth. I want to see her again, and it's been quite a while since we last saw each other."

"Okay, but I'm coming with you then."

"Be my guest."

Roughly around the same time, Marco finished up his tour with Star.

"Wait, just who are you, really?" Marco asked Star.

"Me? I'm a magical princess from another dimension!" She said, twirling around with her wand, conjuring a magical rainbow, with various animals, before it was set on fire. Marco's eyes widened.

"And this is where I leave you here." He said, backing away slowly, before he exited the school.

"See you soon Marco!" She said, waving at Marco.

"Well, if it isn't my quirky, magical friend from Mewni." A voice called out.

"I know that voice... Levi?" She asked, turning to see him and Jackie.

"Star Butterfly. Good to see you again!" He said, walking towards Star.

"Levi! It is you!" She said, as the two hugged.

"It's been a while, you know."

"Yeah! And you've changed too."

"I can say the same to you too, Star."

Star then noticed Jackie. Getting mischievous, she asked, "So, who's the girl with you there? Is she your girlfriend that you just met?"

At that statement, both teens blushed.

"N-n-n-no!" They both said.

Star laughed.

"Kidding, you two!"

They both sighed, but smiled. "Nice to meet you, Star. I'm Jackie Lynn Thomas." She said, offering her hand. She took it, and they shook hands.

"Oops, I gotta go now, I gotta meet Marco's parents!" She said, and ran off.

Once out of sight and earshot, Jackie said to Levi, "Is she always that..." She trailed off.

"Weird?" Levi finished for her, and chuckled. "Nah, she's more like quirky for me. And I like it that way."

"I see. Wanna go to my house? There's nothing much to do now." She asked him. He nodded. "Sure. Just let me get my stuff." Jackie walked with him to the entrance of the school.

He then got his stuff left at the entrance to the school, which was still left untouched, surprisingly. He then got them easily, and he let out the wheels on his luggage.

"Let's get going." He said. Jackie smiled, took out her skateboard, and got on it.

"C'mon, ride with me. Better than walking, anyway." Jackie said and offered her hand.

He chuckled. "Alright. Whatever your decision is." He took her hand, got on the skateboard, and they left the school.

They then arrived at Jackie's house. She took out her keys and opened the door.

"Where are your parents at?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "Work, overseas. But lately, they've been visiting slightly lesser than before."

"So you live alone?"

"Yeah, I guess. Janna does come by and sleep at my house sometimes."

"Your bestie?"

"Yup."

"So how do you buy what you need for yourself?"

"My parents send me money every month, sometimes enough for the month, or more than enough for me to save, for personal wants."

He sighed. "Well, I'll help you out then."

"You will?"

"You've been alone lately, from what I can gleam from your words. You need some company, and some help too, and I can help you out, then."

He was then unexpectedly hugged by Jackie.

"Thanks, Levi."

Initially surprised, he returned the embrace. "No problem... Kie."

Jackie released her embrace. "So, want some help with that to your room?" She asked, pointing to his stuff at the luggage.

He sighed dramatically and laughed. "Oh yes please." He said.

Another two hours pass. They finish unpacking all of Levi's stuff and bringing them in his room.

Sweat was evident on their faces. "Phew... done!" They both said.

They both lied down on the bed. Smiles were worn on their faces. They looked at each other and laughed. Then, they closed their eyes and slowly fell asleep next to each other.

What they both don't know is that they've begun a bond much deeper than they could've expected.

* * *

 ** **AN: So, I'm back, and I've got a new story in mind. really, I should be making the next chapters for my other stories, but the ideas just couldn't stop going through my mind.****

 ** **So, what I have here, is my take on what if Jackie would be more involved with Star and Marco's adventures on the episodes, along with my new OC and at the same time, having their own adventures.****

 ** **Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review.****

 ** **Update (May 2017): Just a bit of removing and correcting here and there.**** ** **Also added what's missing compared to the rest of the chapters. Though**** ** **n**** ** **othing'**** ** **s**** ** **changed in the story.****


	2. Levi Arrives (or Falls) to Earth Part 2

**_Levi Arrives (or Falls) To Earth, Part 2  
After meeting and becoming friends with Jackie, he quickly forms a friendship with Janna and Marco, and Levi meets an old enemy once more._**

 _ ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Star vs. Both Disney and Daron Nefcy own it._**_

* * *

As the two slept in peace, a dark figure stood outside, overlooking the Thomas household.

"So it seems you're in this dimension. Interesting that they picked Earth. No matter. I look forward to meeting you again." The figure chuckled, as he disappears in a void.

Levi's eyes opened slightly, as he shivered slightly, sitting up carefully as to not rouse Jackie awake.

 _ _'That feeling... I've only had that feeling from...'__ He thought. __'No... I can't focus on that now... I have to focus on the present.'__ He then looked down at his hand, specifically, the one intertwined with Jackie's. He blushed at that.

"Not even the day ending, and I already feel a bond with her." He smiled.

He then lied down again next to her, and went to sleep.

The next day, as they arrived at the school, Jackie skateboarded through the campus, passing by Marco and Star, with the former having hearts in his eyes. "Hey Star!" She said to her, to which Star responded, "Hi Jackie!"

"Wait for me!" Levi said, running after her. Jackie stopped, as Levi did as well after catching up to her, panting. "You're fast." He remarked. She chuckled. "Thanks. It's a part of me, really."

The two then met up with Janna.

"Hey, Janna." Jackie said to her, hugging her. They then released their embrace.

"Hey, Jackie. Didn't really see you yesterday. And..." She said, pointing to Levi. "Who is this handsome?" She asked.

Levi chuckled. "Heh, nice meeting you, Janna. I'm Levi." He said, offering his hand.

She took his hand and they both shook. "Nice meeting you too, Levi." She smiled at him.

He turned to Jackie. "So, our first class is English. Let's get going so we don't get late." He said. He then turned back to Janna. "You can come too, Janna." He said.

The girl nodded. "I'd love to."

They reached their classroom minutes later. They sat next to each other as they chatted about various stuff.

"Hey Levi?" Jackie asked one time.

"Yeah Jackie?" He asked back.

"How do you know about Star? And where is Mewni?"

"Oh, that. See, I met Star a couple of times when my parents and I visited Mewni, on both personal and diplomatic visits. Also, Mewni is a dimension in the multiverse that we live in."

"Multiverse? Are you shitting me right now? I've only heard of those in fictional stuff." Janna asked, cutting into the conversation.

"As highly unlikely as that sounds, no I shit you not, not on this topic at least. Earth isn't the only dimension here in this multiverse. There are so many others. Mewni and my home dimension among those too."

"Cool." They both said.

Just as he was about to continue, they heard the bell ring. He sighed.

"I'll explain more of this to you guys later. Is that okay?" He asked the two.

"That's fine." Jackie said, shrugging.

"Yeah, sure. You got me intrigued now." Janna said.

They then noticed the students pour in the classroom.

The students noticed back the new student with Jackie and Janna.

Looks of intrigue were written on their faces, with some questions mumbled, mostly about who the new student is.

Marco and Star lastly arrived in the classroom. Star waved to Levi, and said, "Hey Levi!" Levi waved back, saying, "Hey Star." Marco only smiled at them, but he blushed at seeing Jackie. "H-h-hey... Jackie..." Jackie smiled at him. "Hey Marco."

The two then sat at their chairs. Everyone patiently waited for their teacher.

He then arrived. He was in his mid-thirties, wearing a white polo, black slacks and black leather shoes, basically the typical male teacher look.

"Hello class." He greeted. They stood up and greeted him back. "Good morning Sir Hendricks."

He smiled. "Good morning to you too. Please sit down." They did as he instructed. He then looked at both Star and Levi. Then he smiled.

"Well, class, if you haven't known yet, we have two foreign exchange students here. Star Butterfly and Levi Yoren." He said.

The two looked at the teacher with intrigue.

"Would you two introduce yourselves? You first, Star."

Star nodded, stood up, and walked to the front of the class.

"Hi guys! I'm Star Butterfly. I'm 14 years old, and I'm from Mewni. I usually like kicking monster butt, having great adventures, dimension hopping, and spending time with my best friend Marco!" She cheerily said. Marco groaned at that last part.

 _ _'Why did she have to mention me...'__ Marco thought and placed his hands on his face, clearly embarrassed.

"Anyways, what I don't like are people who think they're better than others, people who think that having their individualities removed is a good thing, and people who hurt others for no reason." She continued, her tone of voice changing to a tone of coldness.

The whole class, save for Levi and Marco, were dumbfounded. Levi, because he knew about her personality and beliefs already. Marco, because they both simply talked to each other about each other the previous night.

"My dream... I dream to simply surpass my mother and become the best ruler Mewni ever has ever had!" She said, gaining a tone of determination, smiling.

Hendricks smiled. "That is quite the introduction, Miss Butterfly." Star smiled at him. "Thank you, teacher Hendricks." She then returned to her seat. He then turned to Levi. "Levi, your turn."

Levi nodded, stood up, and walked to the front of the class, just like Star.

"Hey everyone. I'm Levi Yoren. I'm 14 years old, and I'm from Plurix. What I usually like is exploring the unknown, traveling with my family to other dimensions, sometimes alone too, and fighting as well." He said.

"What I dislike are beings who hurt other beings for no particular reason, and also, arrogance." He continued.

"My dream... my dream is to be the next ruler of Plurix, surpassing my old man, and to also fulfill what I promised." He spoke coldly.

Star knew about Levi's other ambition, for she was the only person he trusted extremely well enough to tell her what happened that made him create that promise.

"Sorry about my tone earlier. Anyways, I hope I can be a good friend to all of you." He smiled brightly, which made the girls in the classroom swoon, excluding Jackie and Star.

 _ _'You really had to do that, didn't you Levi...'__ Star thought, silently chuckling.

Jackie looked around and saw that she and Star were the only ones unaffected. __'Strange...'__ She thought.

"Good introduction, Mister Yoren." Hendricks said. Levi nodded and returned to his seat.

"Okay class, now that the introductions are done, let's start our next lesson." He said.

The students took out their English books. "Alright class, turn your books to page 76..."

Five hours pass.

Classes were then over after Science.

"Don't forget your homework class! The deadline is next week!" The Science teacher, Miss Luna said.

As Levi was fixing up his stuff, Jackie and Janna talked to him.

"So, you promised that you'd tell us more." Janna said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Janna's right, you know. You did say after all." Jackie said.

Levi was still busy fixing his stuff, but he managed to get a sentence out, "Yeah, I sure did. Just as soon as I'm done fixing my stuff, then we'll be on our way."

"Alright then." Janna said, and Jackie added, "We'll be waiting for you at the entrance of the school."

They both ran off, saying, "Don't keep us waiting!"

He sighed, chuckling. "This will take a bit. I just hope they're patient enough."

Ten minutes later, he ran to the entrance of the school, and spotted Janna and Jackie, chatting with each other. He then went up to them.

"Hope I didn't keep you two too long."

"Nah, we're good. So, let's go home?" Jackie asked.

Levi smiled. "Yeah, lets." He said.

The three of them then arrived at Jackie's home.

"Where do we talk?" Jackie asked.

"I think it's best if we talk while we eat, you two. Go on ahead. I'll be making some food for us."

Jackie's eyes widened. "Th...thanks, Levi." She said.

"You seem surprised."

"Not much. It's just that I haven't really had anyone else cook. Janna might've but she's an ass at cooking."

"Yeah... hey!" Janna pouted.

"C'mon Janna, as much as you hate to admit it, you can't exactly cook to save yourself, you know."

That statement caused Janna to slightly blush in embarrassment and say nothing.

Levi only laughed at that.

"Well, how about this Jackie: I cook today, and you cook tomorrow, and we alternate the days. How about that? Janna, I'll teach you to cook some basic stuff. That okay with you?" He stated.

"Reasonable enough. That's fine by me."

"Sure. I do want to learn cooking too."

Levi smiled.

"Okay then. I'll get started." They then went off to do their respective stuff.

Twenty minutes later, Levi called out the two of them for dinner.

They went down, and they saw various food, from pasta, to fish, and to juices.

"Let's eat." He said.

They all sat down and took their food to eat.

"This is delicious! How the hell do you cook so well?!" Janna exclaimed.

"I have to agree, it's so good!" Jackie said.

Levi smiled. "Thanks for the compliments, you two. I've been cooking since I was about ten years old, getting lessons from the cooks at my home."

"Speaking of home, it's time I tell you about my home."

 _ _Plurix. It's the home of my noble family. Though it wasn't always that way. Back then, Plurix was ruled not by my family, but a vicious dictator. He had declared war pretty much on so many dime__ _ _n__ _ _sions, including Mewni. There was so much death then, strife, war, whatever you name it, the evils were there.__

 _ _However, my great-great-great-great-grandparents formed a rebellion, which eventually resulted into them dethroning the dictator. They deemed him simply too dangerous, too irredeemable, so instead of imprisoning him, they had him executed instead.__

 _ _Of course, when I read that at first from my family archives, I was upset, because I thought that there would've been a better way than killing him, and also because that was one of the very few times it had happened in my family's reign, but I knew that this was the first time that it happened.__

 _ _In Plurix, the sky has three moons, and one sun. The buildings in the dimension were mostly the kinds of ones here on Earth. Safe to say, both my dimension and Earth are very similar.__

 _ _There are a few exceptions. Unlike Earth, which has many countries in it, along with its own ruler, Plurix is divided into regions, each with its leader, but ultimately they answer to the monarchs of the dimension, which right now are my parents. Also, we have one universal language, and that should be obvious.__

 _ _Castle Yoren is a combination of both modern and medieval-style design, sharing similar and different characteristics from the two styles. You both get the gist here.__

 _ _So, how did I meet Star? Well, sometimes, my family would head to Mewni, either to improve diplomatic relations with each other, or simply on visitations. I met her when we were eleven.__

* * *

 _ _Levi was walking by in the Butterfly palace, when he spotted her fighting a monster. She looked like she was going to be squished by the monster.__

 _ _"Hey. Need some help?" He asked her. She looked at me as she continued to struggle against the monster.__

 _ _She shook her head. "No... thanks..." She said and grunted. "Just... need to... time this right..." Levi heard her say. Then, unexpectedly, she performed a backflip kick to the monster, hitting his head. He was dazed. She landed gracefully, and she jumped and grabbed the monster's head. She jumped and threw it over. The monster hit a wall, rendering him unconscious.__

 _ _She dusted herself and walked to Levi. "Nothing I can't handle." She said.__

 _ _"Cool. You beat that monster down." He said.__

 _ _"Puh-lease. I've been fighting monsters since a year ago!"__

 _ _"Why is that?"__

 _ _"Dad told me that it was a form of developing my self-defense skills. CQC as he called."__

 _ _"Hmmm... I see. Oh, where are my manners, I'm Levi."__

 _ _"I'm Star." She spotted a monster sneak up behind him.__

 _ _"Levi look out!" She said, but Levi kept his cool.__

 _ _Dark energy rose from his body, and he turned around. He restricted and tied up the monster.__

 _ _"It's not exactly a good idea to sneak up on me." He said and he threw the monster aside.__

 _ _"Wow" Star said, amazed.__

 _ _"Yeah, wow." Levi said, smiling.__

 _ _"Star! Levi!" Their parents called out.__

 _ _"We're here!" They called back.__

 _ _Their parents got to them.__

 _ _"Oh good, you two are safe." Moon said.__

 _ _"Goodness, I don't know what I'll do if something happens to you, Star." River said.__

 _ _"Levi, I'm glad you and Star are safe." Corrina Anne said.__

 _ _Victor didn't say anything, but he had a worried look on his face.__

 _ _"Don't worry guys, I'm okay. And I met a new friend!" Star said.__

 _ _"Your parents are River and Moon Butterfly? The king and queen of Mewni?"__

 _ _"Yeah. And it seems your parents are Victor and Corrina Anne Yoren, the rulers of Plurix."__

 _ _"Well, an honor to meet you then, Princess Butterfly." Levi bowed jokingly. Star laughed.__

 _ _"An honor to meet you too, Prince Yoren." She curtsied. Levi chuckled. They both smiled.__

* * *

"And that's how we met, and it grew on to the point that we're siblings, if not by blood, then by friendship." Levi said, ending his story.

Both girls stared at him with widened eyes.

"Amazing." Jackie said.

"You have powers?" Janna asked. Jackie playfully punched her arm. "What? I'm just asking." Janna said.

"No, that's fine. I have dark energy abilities, and also others." He said.

He then felt something... off. He widened his eyes, and then he narrowed them.

"Can we at least settle this outside, Lynx?" He asked out loud, confusing the two girls.

"Why should I comply?" A male voice spoke, surprising the two girls.

He began to walk towards the main door of the house.

"Your abilities aren't exactly advantageous for you here. You hate these kinds of spaces. I won't also fight well either. Aren't they reasons enough?" He asked.

The voice, now known as Lynx, kept silent.

He eventually responded with a sigh. "Fine. I wasn't really inside anyway."

Levi walked outside to the front yard of the house, and saw him.

Lynx's appearance consists of a black robe with a mage scepter on his right hand, sandals, and a bronze crown on his head.

"So you're back. After I've beaten you for what, the hundredth time?" Levi said.

"I am not gonna stop until I know what the origins of your powers are." Lynx said.

The two stared each other down.

Suddenly, Levi sent two dark spindles, while Lynx said, "Destruction: Fire Spikes!" The words sent out said spikes to the spindles, colliding.

"Conjuration: Bladed Bow!" Lynx said, the scepter forming into the weapon, with arrows and a quiver.

Levi then made his own weapon: a katana. He spun the katana around in front of him, the movement making it into a spinning heliblade. Lynx started to shoot out the arrows in blinding speeds. The heliblade movement only deflected each one. Levi continued walking towards him, still spinning the katana.

Lynx was running out of arrows to shoot. With Levi approaching him, he readied the bow. Once close enough, he slashed at it, stopping the katana's rotation.

They both swung again at each other, the blades deflecting. They continued to slash at each other repeatedly at high speed.

"Destruction: Flame Stream!" Flames shot out from Lynx's other hand, to Levi. His eyes widened, and he conjured a mask to cover his face and head.

 _ _'Smart of you, Levi.'__ He thought.

"Time for my specialty." He said, his bladed bow turning back into his scepter, and retreated back.

Levi's katana dissipated back into darkness energy. "Isn't this too early?"

Lynx smirked. "Since when do I do early? Summon: Four Elements!"

Fire, Water, Earth, and Air elementals rose from the ground.

They roared out.

"This is new." Levi said, looking at each one.

"Mind i we help?" Someone asked. Levi turned to see Jackie and Janna.

"You sure?" He asked. The two nodded. "Well... alright then."

"Find a way to beat the Fire Elemental. You'll only get burned if you try to punch it. I'll take care of the rest." He advised them.

The trio turned to the five. Levi charged towards the five, separating the Fire Elemental from the four.

"So it seems you intend for them to try to beat one of the elementals? How interesting." Lynx said, as the Air elemental fired out air bullets.

"I have trust in them. They're smart." He said back, dodging the bullets and sending his own towards the Earth elemental. The said elemental absorbed the bullets, but dark energy spread around, enveloping the Earth elemental with darkness.

"What did you do?" Lynx asked him.

"Oh, that. I'll show you right about..." The Earth elemental exploded, taking out both it and the Water elemental. "... now."

"How did you...?"

"I added explosive substances to the bullets. It also contained a volatile charge."

As the duo dodged the flames of the Fire Elemental, Janna thought of an idea. She then ran back, telling Jackie to keep on distracting the elemental. The remaining girl continued to dodge the strikes.

Levi continued to dodge the projectiles of the Air Elemental, sending back his own. He also charged forward, weapon in hand, as they both fought in melee , Janna returned outside, a hose in hand.

"Let's see if you can eat water!" Janna said, opening the spout of the hose, water shooting out. The water hits the Fire Elemental, and it gradually overpowers it, as the Elemental yells out in pain, until eventually, it reduces to steam.

Jackie, tired, looks at Janna, who closes the hose. She said, "Smart thinking, Janna."

"Thanks. You're not bad yourself, Jackie." Janna said.

Lynx looks at the two with shock. He looks back at Levi, who is smirking. "What'd I tell ya?"

He growls. His Air Elemental dissipates. He then sighs.

"Fine. I know when I'm beat, and that last spell took a lot of it." He said, and began to fade.

"We'll do this again someday! And I do hope your friends will be with you when that happens!" He then laughs as his body fully disappears, with no trace of him.

Levi pants, and lies down.

"Nice job, you two." He said.

 _ _'That one took most of my energy. This one is slightly different than the previous times we've fought. I think it''s best if I... fall... asleep...'__ He thought, and slowly fell asleep.

The two looked at him. "He's asleep." Jackie said.

Janna nodded and looked at her watch. She looks back at Jackie. "Time for me to go home. My parents might go look for me." She walks away.

"See you tomorrow, you two." She said, as she slowly disappears from Jackie's sight. She sighed.

"Looks like I'll have to carry you by myself, then." She picks him up and wraps his arm around her, and walks back into the house.

Jackie places Levi down on the bed. "All that dodging and running took some for me too..." She said, and fell asleep next to him.

The figure from the previous night reappears. "You are still too weak, Levi..." He says, and disappears just as quickly as he reappeared.

* * *

 ** **AN: I thought about it, and I realized that I could also rewrite some of the adventures Star and Marco had, and include Levi and Jackie there, and at the same time, I could also do the same with the two of them, having their own solo adventures, and also being helped by Star and Marco.**** ** **Updates can be a bit sketchy.****

 ** **I hope you all liked this chapter. Review to share your thoughts, and feel free to send PM's if needed.****

 ** **Thanks for reading. Until then, see you all in the next chapter.****

 ** **Update (May 2017): Again, same as how I updated the first chapter. Not much to worry about.****


	3. Year 1 - History's Risks

**AN: What's up everyone. I'm back, and I've got episode two. This takes place after Match Maker/School Spirit. I have decided to make this into a more episodic format, and updates can be quite sketchy. If you're patient, I thank you for it.**

 **Episode 2: History's Risks**  
 **Summary: Out on a history report, Levi and Jackie head to a certain time period to acquire first-hand information for their report, and they get a surprise when they get there.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs., but I would want to.**_

* * *

"And remember everyone, your history reports are due four days from now!" Their history teacher, Clive Gibbs, said out to the class as they exited the classroom. Class had just ended, and everyone, including Jackie and Levi, had left their classroom.

"Alright, so, how do we go with our history report?" Jackie asked. The two were walking towards the cafeteria to get some food.

"I don't know, but I do know that the first thing we do is to determine which should we pick." Levi responded.

Jackie took out her history textbook, and skimmed through the table of contents.

"Judging by this book, there's so many we can pick from. There's the Third Crusade, the Renaissance Era, the American Revolution, Victorian England..." Jackie said, as they sat down.

"Yeah, there's a lot, but I think I know which one we should pick." Levi said, and they spotted Star and Marco. They waved towards the two of them, which the two spotted.

"Hey, there they are!" Star said, and she went to them, with Marco nervously walking behind her.

"Hey there, you two. You guys can sit with us. No one's with us anyway." Jackie said.

Star smiled. Marco was stammering.

"Yeah... um, thanks... Jackie." He managed to speak out. The two then sat down in chairs opposite of Levi and Jackie.

"So, you guys have any idea for your history report?" Levi asked.

Star scratched her head. "No... I wasn't really briefed much on Earth history. Well..." She turned to Marco. "At least my best friend here is my partner for this report. He'll be able to pick a good time period, and I'll help him out, and we'll pass this report for sure!" She said, beaming.

Marco smiled, his nervousness slowly disappearing. "Yeah, for sure we'll pass. As for your question, Levi, we've picked the Golden Age of Piracy." Levi nodded, intrigued.

"That's an interesting time period you've picked." Jackie said.

"Well, there really isn't much focus on that time period, and I thought maybe we could at least give out some more importance." He said, not looking at her as he fears that he might freeze up and say something embarrassing.

"Well, good luck then." Jackie reassuringly said. Marco blushed.

"Yeah, um... thanks... you two as well. Good luck on your report." Marco said. Star and Marco talked about their report, leaving Levi and Jackie to talk once more.

"Anyways, Jackie, I've picked the French Revolution."

Jackie raised her eyebrow, intrigued.

"Why'd you pick that?" She asked. Levi shrugged.

"I figured, I don't think any of us, other than us, would want to bother with the French Revolution, despite that it's one of the most important times of the world. And hey, I may be from another dimension, but I've studied about Earth for quite some time now, and I think most underestimate its importance."

"Well, alright then. But, how do we start?" She asked. Levi smirked.

"I've got an idea about that. Let's go grab something to eat before we leave, though." He said, and the two proceeded to do so.

After eating at the school and arriving at their home, the two then went into Levi's room, and Levi took something out of his spare items in his trunk. It was a clear crystal shard.

"What's that?" Jackie asked, curious. He looked at the shard, and turned to her, smiling.

"Beautiful, isn't it? It's a two-part magic shard, that allows one to travel to the past."

Jackie looked at the shard, admiring its beauty. However, she immediately turned to Levi in shock.

"Travel to... to... the past?!" She asked. He nodded.

"Mmmmhmmm, yup, it does. I once found this shard when I went to the caves in another dimension, but that's a story for another time." He said.

"And you're gonna use that for...?" She asked, but immediately gasped in horror. "No... are you gonna...?"

"Yup. We'll use it to get first-hand information for our history report." He said.

Jackie thought about this. While they could simply get information from the vast source that is the internet and be done with it, simply experiencing it and seeing it for themselves is on a much higher level. However, she felt the risk of changing the timeline forever as a result of their involvement. And with their time period being the French Revolution, is it truly worth it?

"I know what you're thinking." Levi said.

"Levi, what if our actions would cause the timeline to change forever? What if we've made a different future?"

"Don't worry, Jackie. The shard has a reset effect in it, meaning, once we get back to the present, it will be as if we didn't even go to the past, as the timeline will erase our actions. No big deal, right?" He said.

Jackie was still doubtful. But Levi was her friend and history partner.

She wouldn't let him go to the past without her.

"Well, you're not going away without me, Levi." She said, and held his hand. He smiled.

"Well, alright then. Remember to just hold on." He said, and she tightened her grip on Levi's hand.

He focused and transferred energy to the crystal, as a light engulfs them.

Seconds later, the light dissipates, and the two are gone.

* * *

(1797 - Paris, France)

They appeared with a flash of light. The crystal Levi held was now cut in half.

"You can open your eyes now, Jackie." He said to her. She did, and she noticed something as she looked around.

"Our clothes are different." She said.

Jackie's clothing consisted of a simple light green dress and heels. Levi's clothing was a white coat, a striped polo, black slacks, and red shoes.

"It seems that in whatever timeline we are, the clothes that we have will change into something more appropriate to that timeline." He noted.

"What year are we in, specifically?" She asked him.

"1797. We are months before the end of the revolution. Eventually, a more vicious government will enter, signifying the Reign of Terror." He said, as he surveyed the area.

"It seems we're in the poorer parts of town." He noted

"Yeah, and the people look like they're preparing for a riot." She said.

"We best get going then." The two quietly left the area as they went to the Palace of Versailles.

They sneaked through the back of the palace, where they spotted a hooded figure lockpicking a door.

Jackie was about to speak, but Levi shook his head at her, gesturing that they should be quiet.

However, the hooded man spotted them regardless. He went to them, and he asked, "Who are you two? And aren't you two too young to attend parties like this?"

"I'm Levi Yoren, and my friend here is Jackie Lynn Thomas, and yes, yes we are."

He sighed. "Well, there's no use in convincing you two, as I see in your eyes unwavering determination." He took off his hood, surprising the two.

"You're Arno Dorian!" They quietly said. He raised his eyebrow, wondering.

"How do you two know my name?" He asked.

At that question, Levi sighed.

"It will be hard to explain, so bear with us."

Arno said nothing.

"We're from the future. Two hundred eighteen years from the future, to be precise." Levi said.

"We know you, because you're a character from a game." Jackie said.

"A game?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"It's best that you don't delve into it more. It'll only confuse you more." Levi said. Arno sighed.

"Well, alright, but what are you doing here, in the past?"

"We're here to do some research on our history report. And we picked the French Revolution for our topic." Jackie said.

"Interesting. Well, do you two know what I'm doing?" He asked.

They nodded.

"Yup."

"Well good. Saves us the trouble of explaining." Arno said, and returned to lockpicking the door. Seconds later, the door clicks, and he opens the door.

"Let's go." He said, and went in, followed by the duo, who closed the door.

Inside, the room they were in was empty and dark. The crystal shard glows, making the trio curious. "How peculiar. When I had this, it didn't glow at all. Why now?" Levi silently wondered as he looked at the shard.

"Who are you going to assassinate?" Jackie asked. At first, Arno said nothing. He then thought

 _'The two might pose a risk to this mission, but if what they say is true, then I might not have a problem. However, I still need to be cautious around the two. No harm done if I tell them, eh?'_ He thought.

"Well, I suppose there's nothing wrong with telling you two, considering that you two will go back to your time, right?" He said, and the two nodded.

"Marie Antoinette." He said. Their eyes widened, and then Levi laughed.

"Well, I picked a bloody good time here then!" He said. Arno immediately quieted him, and Levi apologized, but he chuckled.

They continued to sneak, where they eventually came across a few walking guards blocking their path.

"Let me take care of them. While that happens, you two find alarms nearby and disable them." Arno said, and left.

"Wait, what do the alarms look... like..." Levi said, but trailed off as he knew Arno wouldn't hear him.

"Levi, I think I found one." Jackie called out. He walked towards her.

"That's an alarm? Interesting. I think I know what Arno means by disable..." Levi said, and conjured a dagger, and he jumped and slashed the connection of the alarm, and also cut off the bell. He landed, grabbing the bell to avoid any sound. They definitely do not want to notify any guards.

"Hey, let's write up some information on these things." Jackie suggested, to which Levi nodded. They took out their pen and paper and wrote and drew the alarm. They continued to find other alarms, and disable them. Eventually they returned to their original spot, where Arno was waiting for them. He smiled.

"Let's get going." He said, and they continued sneaking.

"Also, let's do the guards." Jackie said, and they both wrote information and drew the now dead guards. Once they were done, they caught up with Arno.

"She's in the grand hall." He said to them, and turned to the entrance. "Stay at a safe spot, and when you hear the guards call out, no matter what is happening, you two run, got it?" The two nodded at his words, and the assassin and duo parted.

Once at a safe place, they sat down, and exhaled.

"I literally couldn't relax there." Jackie said.

"At least we're both still here." Levi said.

"Let's write up what we know while we're here." She said, and they both began to do so.

Some time later, they heard the sounds of screaming. "That must be what he meant. Let's run!" Levi said, and they stood up and ran.

They were blocked by four guards, so Levi said to Jackie, "Stand back." And she did, and Levi conjured a dark sword. He also conjured a smoke bomb, and threw it down, blocking their vision. With that, he began his assault. He first slashed at the guard closest to him, causing a wound on his arms, then he kicked at his gut and head, knocking the first guy out.

He turned to the next guard, who is still coughing from the smoke. Not wasting time, he quickly disarmed the guard's gun, and he promptly shot at his shoulder and leg, in which the guy screamed and caused him to kneel. He kneed his head, knocking him out.

At that moment, the smoke wore off, leaving only two guards left. They both charged at Levi. He blocked both at the same time, as he struggled against their strike.

However, he heard a gunshot, and a scream, as one of the two guards held his sword arm in pain. He heard another one, and he saw the other doing the same thing.

Levi performed a side kick to their heads, knocking them out. He turned and saw Jackie shakily holding a gun. His eyes widened, and he ran to her.

"You didn't need to do that." He said.

"I know... I just... I thought you were..." She said, as a few tears were leaking out.

"Don't worry. I'm thankful for what you did regardless." He said, and smiled. She smiled back.

"Now, let's keep going!" They both ran once more.

"Ah, good!" They heard a voice, and they both turned to see Arno.

"There's no exit, you two. You know what that means..." He said, and smirked.

Jackie realized what they're about to do, and widened her eyes in shock.

"Oh no... no no no no no no!" She said as the trio ran for a window.

"THIS IS INSAAAAAAANNNNEEEEEE!" She screamed as they ran through a window. They landed as they rolled forward and kept running. They stopped once they noticed there were no more guards after them. They huffed and breathed heavily. Then they laughed and lied down on the ground as they kept laughing.

"I have to admit, that was kinda fun!" Jackie said.

"Heh. Yeah, when that feeling rolls in, it's hard to get that out." Arno said.

"Haha, it was certainly something." Levi said.

Arno then stood up, and turned to look at the two. "It was nice meeting you two, but now I have to go."

"That's fine by us, Arno. We were glad to meet you too." Levi said.

"Until then, you two." He said, and ran off.

The duo sat up. "Can we stay for a while longer?" Jackie asked. Levi smiled.

"Sure. Besides, we haven't got all the information yet, right?" He said. Jackie smiled back.

"Right."

They continued to walk around Paris, noting the various areas, the people, and they eventually visited the Eiffel Tower.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked her as they both looked at the scenery.

"Yeah, even in this time period, Paris is so beautiful." She said, smiling.

Minutes later, they went back to the area they arrived in.

"We got all the information we need now. Ready?" Levi asked her. She nodded and held his hand.

"Yeah. I loved it, even though it was in the past, it's still beautiful." She said.

Levi nodded. He focused and transferred energy into the crystal shard.

The same light from before envelops them, and in an instant, they were gone.

(2015 - Echo Creek - Four Days Later)

"An A minus. Not bad, eh?" Levi asked Jackie as they exited the classroom.

"Yeah, for sure. We passed. With flying colors to boot." She said.

"You ever wondered about Arno?"

"I just hope the events of the game isn't the same as the past."

They both went home.

In the past, in 1798, Arno looks up in the sky as he stands on the tip of the Eiffel Tower.

"Levi and Jackie... you two better pass that history report of yours." He said, and smirked.

He then performed a Leap of Faith off the tower, as the moonlight shines the night in Paris.

* * *

 **AN: Leave a review on this episode. It helps a ton.**


	4. Year 1 - Brittney's Party

**AN: Hey everyone. This is episode three, and it's the first rewritten episode of many in the series. This took me a time to see how I'll involve the two, mostly Levi, in this episode. But anyways, read on, and remember to review when you're done.**

 **Also, for those wondering about the historical accuracy of last episode, I had the Eiffel Tower erected a lot of years earlier for the purposes of this story.**

 **Episode 3: Brittney's Party  
Summary: Levi and Jackie are invited to Brittney Wong's 14th birthday party. Levi talks to Brittney, and he fights off Lynx when he unexpectedly arrives at the party.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Star Vs..**_

* * *

"Star seems to be on a roll." Levi said as he and Jackie noticed Star as they walked around the school.

"I'll say. She might even be more popular than Brittney." Jackie said.

"Brittney Wong? Speaking of which, why is she even popular?" He asked.

Jackie hummed as she thought about his question. "Honestly, I don't remember. The only one fact I know is that her family is rich. Maybe that's one of the reasons, but I know there's more to that." She answered, shaking her head.

"Oh." He only said, and they stopped walking, as they noticed a line of people, with Star in front of the two.

"What are we waiting for here?" They heard Star ask Sabrina, the girl in front of her. She looked panicked, almost hysterical.

"Oh we're just waiting to get an invitation to the most important social event of the year!" She said somewhat crazily, and pointed up to the sky.

The three looked up and saw a blimp, which read: _"BRITTNEY WONG'S 14TH BIRTHDAY PARTY -_ _ **NO LOSERS ALLOWED!"**_

The trio looked back down to Sabrina, and they saw Brittney handing out the invitations. "I disagree on that." Levi commented.

Brittney handed the invitation to Sabrina, and said, "Yes." Sabrina graciously accepted the invitation, and she said, "Oh thank you! I'm in!" and she then fainted.

Levi shook his head. Brittney then went to Star.

"Ewww, no. Star _Butterface_? You'll be invited when pigs fly!" She snidely said.

Star gasped, but then she grinned. She then used her wand to make a flying pig.

Jackie, Levi, and Brittney collectively gasped.

 _'I didn't think she'd literally do that...'_ Levi thought. _'Then again... we've only been on Earth for four weeks.'_ He added.

"There. All done!" She said, and beamed.

"Thank you for creating me, Star!" The flying pig happily said.

"Awww, it was nothing!" She said.

"Hmph!" Brittney said, and swats at the flying pig. The flying pig only oinks in sadness, and left.

Star then left. "See you at the party!" She said.

Brittney turned to Levi and Jackie.

"For both of you, you'll be invited, obviously." She said, and handed out two invitations, one for each of them.

Jackie accepted the invitation with a slight hesitance.

Levi however, refused. "No."

Brittney widened her eyes. "No?!"

"I won't go unless you invite Star and Marco." He said.

Brittney narrowed her eyes. "What does it matter to you that Diaz and _Butterface_ won't be invited?"

"Those two are my friends. Star as my sister-figure, really. Marco, he's still my friend, even though we don't talk to each other that much."

However, Brittney only shook her head.

"No. I will not invite those two, but you will." She adamantly said, handing out the invitation.

Levi sighed. _'No use in changing this girl's mind.'_ He thought. He then accepted the invitation. "Alright, fine. But later at the party, we are going to talk." He said, and the two left.

"Sorry Levi, but at least you tried." Jackie reassuringly said. Levi smiled at her.

"I know. I just wanted to at least change her feelings about Star and Marco. Honestly, they're not so bad once you get to know them, to a stranger, at least." Levi said. Jackie looked back at the invitation, which read that they'll be picked up at 7:00 P.M.. She looked back to Levi.

"Well, we got invited. What are we gonna do now?" Jackie asked. Levi smirked.

"Well now, as I've learned from various formal parties in Plurix, it is always wise to attend the event. Let's get home and prepare." He said.

* * *

Hours later, they were both ready and were waiting for their pick-up.

Jackie has a flower nestled in her hair, courtesy of Levi, a purple top, and blue jeans, along with brown boots.

Levi changed his look to be more informal, as he wore a simple blue t-shirt, black jeans, and red sneakers, along with a black wristwatch.

He checked the time, and he saw that it was 6:57 P.M., and he then turned to Jackie, saying, "Any minute now. They'll be here."

They then heard the sound of a horn. "I think that's our ride." Jackie said. Levi nodded. They both went out of the house, and they saw a bus. The decor clearly shows that it was Brittney's.

Levi turned to Jackie. "A party bus? Really?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. You said that her family is rich, but not _this_ rich. I mean, wow." He was a bit awed at the bus.

Jackie giggled at his reaction. "Well, that's how she does her birthday party since she was twelve, really. Anyways, let's get inside." She said, held his hand, and they both headed to the bus.

The bus driver, opened the bus door. "Come on inside, you two." He said as he looked forward. They went inside.

"Wow. If I wasn't awed before, I am now." Levi said in amazement.

"Well, I'm glad that you like it." A voice spoke out from behind. They both turned to see Brittney.

"Either way, thanks for coming, you two." She said.

They both gave their gifts to her, which she took and placed them on he gifts table.

"Remember our condition, Brittney." Levi said to her, and Brittney left them. The two sat down nearby.

"You think the two are gonna go?" Jackie asked him, to which he smirked.

"Oh they will be. They'll find a way. I know Star, and I know she'll find a way to get here."

"But..."

"You just gotta trust in her."

"Well... alright. I'll be off to find Hope and Janna."

"Okay. I'll be waiting for them."

And with that, Jackie left to find Hope and Janna.

Levi took out his cellphone.

 _'Might as well play some games while I wait.'_ He thought.

Thirty minutes later, he stopped, and he saw all of the invited in the bus. He also saw Brittney singing horribly.

 _'Goodness. That's so off-key, even for me.'_

He then heard a crash, and the next thing he knew, he saw Star and Marco on the floor.

He turned to Jackie, and he locked eyes with her.

 _'See? I told you they'd find a way.'_ He thought. Jackie, sensing those words, chuckled and rolled her eyes at him. He waved at Janna, who waved back in return. He turned back to the duo. He smiled at them as he helped them up.

"Good to see you two." He commented and went to the food area. Brittney, however, was less than pleasant to see them.

"What the heck are you two doing _here_?!" She asked irritably.

However, her question was ignored by Star. "See? Told you this was better than the stairs." She said and grinned. She then spotted one of the party hats.

"Sweet. I always liked those little hats. And I can make them too." She said, and proceeded to make one of her own.

"Again... what are you two doing here?!" Brittney asked, more irritated now.

"Nothing yet. I just got here, remember?"

Marco left to another area, and did push-ups.

"One... two... three... four..."

"Marco? While I'm glad you got here, what are you doing?" Jackie asked him in confusion, as he looked up to see her. He widened his eyes.

 _'Oh no. It's Jackie! Okay, keep cool, Diaz. Play it cool.'_ Marco thought.

The bus unexpectedly skidded to a halt. It forced Marco to stand up and wobble backwards. He gulped. _'Damn this motion sickness.'_ He disdainfully thought.

"Oh hey, since it's your birthday, I'll sing you some birthday tunes with my mouth sounds." She said, and proceeded to do so, rather badly.

Brittney groaned and went to the bus driver.

"Driver, pull this bus over, at once!" She said.

"Sorry, lady, but I can't."

"What?! Why is that?!"

The bus driver pointed at the road, which is cluttered with cars.

"We're stuck in extreme traffic. However, I'll pull over at the next stop. You just need to wait." He said. Brittney groaned again.

"This is why I told my dad to have a party jet instead. But no, he said. Hmph." She said.

"Um... you know that I can't drive a jet, right?"

"No, of course I didn't. We'd hire a different driver then." She went back and turned to the others.

"Now, to my _invited_ guests, who wants to see me open my presents?" Brittney asked, adding emphasis to invited, hinting at Star and Marco that they aren't invited.

No response. Levi would've, but since this was the first time he'd seen this, he only wanted to observe.

"Well?" Brittney asked again, impatiently tapping her foot.

Then the party guests, except for Levi, Jackie, Janna, Star, and Marco (who was still suffering from the motion sickness), all raised their hands. Various voices chanted out, "Me! Pick me!"

Levi turned to Jackie. He raised his eyebrow at her. Jackie sadly nodded. Levi nodded as well.

 _'Damn, this is just sad.'_ He thought. He turned to Star, who was looking at Marco and talking to him.

 _'Does she have a plan?'_ He added. He went off to look for Jackie.

"Y'know Marco, something tells me that we're not invited to this party." Star said to Marco.

"That's possible. Maybe we should get off on the next bus stop." Marco suggested. Star fervently shook her head.

"No, Marco. These people are so miserable. We've got to make them happy!" Star said. Marco shook his head.

"Star, we don't really need to do that-" He was interrupted when the bus unexpectedly stopped again. He gagged as the motion sickness took over briefly. Star held Marco from falling.

"Marco? Are you alright?" She asked in concern for her best friend.

He coughed. "I told you Star..." He gagged again. "... I get motion sickness."

Star led him to a chair. "Sit down, Marco. I'll do this on my own. Will you be okay?" She asked him. Marco smiled.

"Don't worry, Star. I just need to sit still, look out to the window, and and not move too much."

Seeing the smile on Marco's face, despite the condition he's in, made Star smile back.

"Okay Marco. I'll make sure to make everyone happy!" She said cheerfully, and left.

Seeing the entire ordeal, Levi smiled. He then turned to Brittney and the guests. He saw in time to see Brittney throw away a handbag. It hits Sabrina, and causes her to get a black eye and lose one of her teeth. He shook his head. _'This... may be harder than I thought.'_ He thought.

Star went to them, and she said, "Hey everybody. I know a way to make this party a little better. It isn't just hats that I can make..." She then used her wand to make a laser puppy, and continued, "... I can make dogs too."

The guests, excluding Brittney, were awed. "Wow."

"Check this out!" Star said, and the laser puppy made a light show, which read: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTNEY". The guests were more amazed. "I wish I can spell that good!" Justin commented.

Brittney swats the laser puppy from Star's hands. Star gasps. "Not cool, girl." She says.

Marco meanwhile watches Jackie, as he thinks, _'There she is. Jackie Lynn Thomas. You're feeling a bit better now, Diaz. This is your chance!'_

As he was slightly moving his chair towards Jackie, he was stopped by Justin, who was holding a plate of bad oysters.

"Hey Marco, do you think these oysters smell bad to you?" He asked, and then sniffed them. "Yup, seems like they turned." He said again, and left, leaving Marco even more nauseous.

He rolled again, only to be stopped by Brittney. "You better not throw up in my bus, _Barfo_ Diaz!" She said. Marco gulped, and Brittney left him.

"Ugh, this party is a disaster!" She said, and crossed her arms.

"Hey Brittney! I know another way to make this party even more fun!" Star said. "Rubber Sparkle Bounce House!" She chanted, and turned the interior of the bus into a bounce house. The party guests cheered as they jumped and bounced around. Brittney only kept her arms crossed, bouncing slightly as well. Levi noticed this and stopped bouncing.

"Hey." He said to her.

"Hmph." She only said.

Marco, however, only gagged, trying not to throw up.

"Isn't this fun, Brittney? Oh, I have a better idea!" Star said and she went up to the bus roof, followed by the bus guests.

"Do you wanna talk now, Brittney?" Levi asked.

Brittney shook her head. "No, not yet. I'm a bit angry right now."

Levi shrugged. "Alright. When you're feeling better, then." He left and went to Marco. Star also did the same, and sat down next to him. He looked very green.

"Whoa, Marco. You're not feeling good, aren't you?" Star said.

"I'll say. Marco, you really need to just rest." Levi said.

"Can you guys make my tummy a bit better?" Marco only asked, and he groaned in pain.

Suddenly, the bus stopped again, throwing Star and Marco to the floor, while Levi kept his ground. They saw that the bus was at a stop sign.

"Hmmm, guess the traffic's gone." Levi commented.

"Finally. End of the line for the princess and the puke boy!" Brittney said. The two went to the exit, and Marco stepped off the bus.

"Ahhhh, fresh air!" He said and inhaled deeply. "It smells like... monsters?!" He said in surprise.

"What?!" Star asked.

There, in front of the bus, was Ludo and his army. "Get them!" He said.

Back inside the bus, Brittney sighed in relief. "Finally." However, Star crashes into her, and Marco crashes into Levi.

"What the?!" Brittney said in exasperation.

"Three-eyed Potato Baby, take the wheel!" Ludo instructed him. The said monster grinned and proceeded to the driver's seat.

"... Uh-huh. Yeah, she said she wants a jet." The bus driver said to the speaker on the cellphone before he was suddenly picked up and tossed aside by the monster. Three-Eyed Potato Baby then sat on the driver's seat, fastened his seatbelt, adjusted the side mirrors, and put on a driver's hat. He adjusted his hat for a while. Ludo got annoyed, and he said, "Will you just get on with it?!"

The monster finished adjusting the hat, and slammed on the gas pedal. The resulting speed threw off most of the party guests, sending them to the back of the bus, as they screamed in terror. The only ones who kept their ground are Star and Levi.

"What's your game, Ludo?!" Star asked him. Ludo grinned, took a soda can, and popped it open. "I'm gonna bus-jack this bus!" He said, drinking afterwards.

* * *

On a different part of the road, Spikeballs and a crocodile monster stand next to a dark green dimensional portal.

"This might be them." Spikeballs said. A random car then drove through the portal.

Spikeballs looked at the portal. "Was that them?" He asked the crocodile monster.

"I don't think so." The crocodile monster said.

* * *

Back to the bus, Star crossed her arms. "That's a particularly stupid plan, Ludo!" She said.

Hearing her words, Ludo spit the soda he was drinking. "It's a great plan! And shut-up! And... oh never mind. GET HER!" He said. The monsters roared and chased after Star, who ran up to the bus's roof.

"Oh boy." Levi said, and looked at Marco, who is still looking sick. "I hope Star can handle them without him." He said again.

Brittney sighed and sat down, still crossing their arms. She sighed. "Star's the worst." She said. Ludo sat down next to her. "I know, right?" He said. "I hope you destroy her." She said in disdain. Ludo grinned. "Oh thank you! That is so nice!" He said and left.

Levi then sat down next to her. "Alright Brittney. It's time we talk." He said.

"Alright, fine. Let's talk." She said, clearly not in the mood.

"Why do you hate Star? And to an extension, Marco?" He asked. She sighed in frustration.

"Ugh, ever since the day you and Butterface arrived here, she has been stealing my spotlight! She has been threatening to take my place as the most popular girl here in the school. She can do everything, thanks to that wand! She's just so pretty too! For Diaz... actually... maybe I dislike him because he's Star's friend."

"Brittney, are you jealous?"

"What?! No! Who said I'm jealous about Butterface?"

"You're somewhat in denial there. But anyways, what would it matter if Star becomes more popular than you?"

Brittney's tears were leaking. However, she holds them for as long as she can.

"Because I will be forgotten! If I don't become the most popular girl, I'll eventually be just a nobody! I'm only popular beacuse I'm rich! I don't have any other redeeming qualities about me!"

"Well, you can always have those qualities. You won't be forgotten if you're not popular anymore. I'm sure Star doesn't care that she'll be more popular than you. She won't forget you. In fact, she'll even try to be friends with you. It's like she always has that quality of hers to be friends with everyone she meets... well, except for Ludo. And I won't forget you either. You're not a nobody."

"You... you think? I've been a bitch to almost everyone. Why would you give me a chance?"

Levi smiled at her. "It's because I believe in second chances. I don't just give them to anyone, but when I do, It's because I know that they will make good with it."

"Will you?"

"I will. Now that you look at it, she does make the party better. I don't think I can ever truly be a very good person, but I'm willing to try and be friends with her."

"I know you will. Give Marco a chance too, will ya?"

"Heh, maybe." Brittney wiped the tears from her face as she smiled at him.

Levi stood up and began to leave. "Levi?" Brittney called out.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

He then left, but then stumbled onto Ludo, who was eating the bad oysters.

Ludo laughed. "There's a rumbly in my tumbly!" He said.

Levi made a face of digust. "Disgusting!" Levi and another voice said.

"Huh?" They said. Levi and the other person looked at each other. They stared for a good five seconds.

They both screamed after. "LYNX! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Levi asked. They both calmed down.

"What do you think?!" Lynx said, and closed down on him with two daggers. Levi dodged as he conjured dark gauntlets.

"I am not going to tell you if that's what you're thinking!" Levi said as he made a staff. "I'll force you, then!" He threw the dagger at Levi, who grabbed the blade. He moaned in pain as the blade had cut at his left palm.

"Damn it, there are innocents here!" He said, as he dropped the dagger, which then disappeared. Lynx stopped.

"Really?" He said, and looked around, seeing the terrified guests.

"Oh, sorry." He said again, and he let the other dagger disappear, and in its place was a dull-bladed naginata.

"Let's dance." Levi said, and he charged forth with his staff. Lynx swung. And with that, they began their battle.

They swung at each other, with each hit deflected.

Levi swung left, and Lynx dodged the attack, swinging upwards, and Levi swayed at the right. He grabbed at the dull blade, and he flipped forward, landing behind Lynx, who crashed down from the naginata's sudden movement. Lynx suddenly stood up, and Levi brought up his staff, and swung downwards.

Lynx brought his naginata up horizontally, blocking the swing. He pushed up, but Levi pushed down. Lynx then backflip kicked, hitting Levi's face, causing him to lose the staff, which Lynx grabbed.

"Looks like you're at a disadvantage." Lynx said. Levi recovered, rubbing his face.

"Uncalled for, but regardless, this is a fight after all." Levi said.

The two smirked, and charged at each other once more.

Levi dodges the attacks Lynx gives as he kicks the two long-handled weapons away each time.

Lynx growls in frustration. However, before either could make another move, the bus suddenly flips in the air, and Star crashes through the bus's roof.

The bus crashes into a complete wreck, and the two fighters land on the ground, sprawled as the two weapons are lost from Lynx's grip. The two looked at each other, and the weapons, and quickly, the two ran and grabbed their weapons. They looked at each other again.

"A minor setback." They both said, and ran at each other again, roaring.

Levi used his staff to make a jump, and he landed behind Lynx. Levi kicked at Lynx's side. Lynx swung his weapon backwards to Levi, hitting his gut. He wheezed in pain as he lied down on the ground, and the staff disappears.

Lynx smirked. "Heh. Looks like your staff is gone." He then slams down the bladed portion of the naginata, and Levi grabs it. He struggles against the force.

"Tell me!" He said.

"I will not!" Levi said, and dark energy enveloped the naginata. "What the..." The dark naginata suddenly hits Lynx's face, making him gasp in pain.

"Damn it!" He said. He is suddenly brought down to the ground, with Levi and the naginata facing down on him.

"You lose." Levi said. Lynx growled.

"I will get you again... and I will KNOW!" Lynx said in anger, and he dissolved in ash. Levi sighed.

"I know you will... and I will always be there to stop you." He said, and turned to the party guests, who are in awe. They cheered.

"I guess this party wasn't that bad after all." Brittney said, smling.

Levi looked at Star. "Where's Marco?" He asked.

"Still throwing up."

"Oh. Will he be okay?"

"Yeah, he will be." Star went to Marco, placed his arm on her shoulder. "You done?" She asked him. Marco breathed heavily. "Yeah, I think." He said. The two then walked away.

"See you tomorrow!" Star said to Levi.

He smiled. He turned to Jackie.

"Let's go home, Kie." He said.

"Yeah." She said. They wrapped their arms around each other, and walked home.

A figure appeared in the air from a dark void, looking down at the two. "Heh... you're getting stronger now, Levi." He disappeared once more.

"Hmmm?" Levi said, stopped walking, and looked up, but he saw no one.

"What is it?" Jackie asked. He looked back at Jackie, and smiled. He leaned his head on Jackie's, who in turn, leaned on his shoulder.

"No... it's nothing. Let's just keep walking home."

And with that, they walked home once more, happy.

* * *

 **AN: Again, review. Tell me your thoughts on this episode. It helps a lot.**

 **Until then, everyone.**


	5. Year 1 - Nightmares of Fear

****AN: First of all, I apologize for the long time between this one and the last one. Lately I've been a bit down the past few weeks, but I finally put myself back again, and I'm ready to get this one out.****

 ** **Now, last month, I published this chapter/episode, and then deleted it three weeks later, because I did a do-over and I realized how crappy this was. I heard that it was too 'dark' for most, and I also saw it as that too. So, long story short, I re-edited the chapter with some changes, particularly the nightmares. I added some scenes as well, and changed the time the episode had taken too. This won't be as dark as the original, but it's still a little bit dark.****

 ** **As I had deleted this chapter, I'm putting this up as well as the next episode at the same time. I'm really sorry again for the long absence, and as a way to make it up to all of you, two episodes are going to be published.****

 ** **Episode 4 - Nightmares of Fear  
Premise: Levi has been receiving multiple nightmares recently, and Jackie vows to help him with his problem. However, she experiences her own nightmare as well, as both try to confront their fears.****

* * *

On a Sunday in Echo Creek, in the Thomas household, Levi and Jackie were in the living room, seated opposite each other, playing twenty questions. They haven't really gotten to know each other that much, despite the time they've had living together, so they decided to play the game to know more.

"Favorite color?" Levi asked.

"Green, or in other cases, Mint. You?" Jackie asked back.

"From you're eyes and that mint streak, it's somewhat obvious. Red."

"As I thought. It really suits you."

"Thanks. What's your parents like?"

"Well, in the first twelve years of my life, my parents were loving. They loved me as their precious daughter. They cared for me, and they've always been there for me. But, recently, they both had worked overseas, away from me. They didn't leave me a caretaker, so I pretty much had to do almost everything on my own, from cooking to cleaning. They visited me sometimes, but it's so few times that they did. Every month since their departure, they've always sent me money for the home, and for myself. Sometimes, I ask myself if I had any reason as to why they've worked overseas, away from me, and most importantly, away from each other. Also, in those few visits, it's always either just my mom or my dad, but never together. To this day, I still don't understand their reasons. It's been almost half a year since either one of them visited, and I just want them to be with me again, even for just a week, a day, even." Jackie finished her story, and she had now leaned on Levi's shoulder and cried.

"I miss them, Levi. I miss them so damn much. Do they even care for me now?" She added. Levi embraced her.

"They do. They love you, you know. A parent always loves their child unconditionally. I'm sure they'll see you again." He said.

Jackie then embraced him back.

"You're right... you're right. I know my parents. And I always know that they will visit me again. But... I just want to see them together again, with me... as a family." She said. Levi smiled.

"They will."

They both pulled away, and Jackie smiled at him, feeling a bit better at his words of reassurance.

"Levi?"

"Yes?"

"It's my turn now. What's your family like?"

"My family consisted of just me and my parents. My mom, Corrina Anne, is a very caring person. She values the lives of all the citizens of Plurix a lot. She's also very skilled as an archer, before she became queen. Those days had been in the past now, but, she still practices at least thrice every month, just to make sure that she hasn't lost her touch. She's also a skilled diplomat too. She always finds a way to make sure thet both sides are always in equal terms, and also make sure that the benefits would be equal too."

"Dad... well, for one, he was actually once an enemy of my home, according to my mom and my grandparents."

"Really?"

Levi chuckled. "Heh. Yeah. He's fiery, headstrong too. But he's very intelligent. While always on the front lines, he's actually regarded as one of the best strategists in the multiverse. So, how did my mom and dad meet and fall in love? That's a story I'll tell you soon... very soon..." He trailed off as he looked out the window, a forlorn look on his face.

"Levi? Is there anything wrong? Do you have anything else to talk about your family?" She asked, concerned.

Levi solemnly shook his head, looking back to Jackie.

"Sorry, Jackie... but, this is something you can't know... not yet at least. The only one person I've told is Star, and even she won't tell you if you try. She swore to secrecy unless I told her it's okay, or unless I told you myself."

Jackie nodded and smiled at him, underatanding his words. "That's fine. I understand that. Now, it's your turn."

"Right. Favorite moment of your life?"

"The one time I did seven different skateboard tricks in one combo. Loved it! So, favorite food?"

"Wow, I have to admit, that's nice. Anyways, pizza. Favorite number?"

"8. It just feels right, to me. Ever played any sport?"

"An Earth sport, and that's chess. I like playing that game a lot now. Do you like anyone, currently?"

Jackie shook her head. "No... no one yet at least."

 _ _'But... it might change soon...'__ She thought.

"Night or morning?"

"Oh, definitely night. It's a lot more calmer at night, plus the silence is a bonus too."

"Yeah, I see your point, but I'm more of a morning person. The light helps, and so do the activeness of the morning, and it helps with my skateboarding too."

"I see yours too. But still, night's the best."

"No, the day is the best."

"No, it's the night."

"Nope. The day trumps out."

"Ha, you're kidding yourself if you think the night isn't better."

"Oh, so you're challenging me now, Yoren?"

"You bet I do."

"Hmph. Day."

"Night."

"Day."

"Night."

"Day, damn it!"

"Night!"

"DAY!"

"NIGHT!"

"DAY!"

"NIGHT!"

At this point, they were at each other's noses, their hot breaths felt by each other. They intensely stared at each other.

Their gazes softened, and then they smiled and began to laugh, which then became louder as they couldn't control their laughs and lied down opposite each other. They then rose up and looked at each other, still laughing, but lessened to a softer laugh.

"Man, to think we'd be screaming at each other about which time of the day is better." Levi said.

"I know. It's silly..." Jackie said.

... but it's funny too."

They noticed the time. 2:14 P.M..

Levi yawned. "Huh, I think I'm a bit sleepy at the moment."

"I'm still raring to go. But if you need to, then take a nap." Jackie suggested.

"Alright, I guess I will." Levi stood and began to walk.

"Hey, Jackie?"

"Yeah?"

Levi wanted to say something, but he decided against it. He shook his head.

"No, it's nothing."

Jackie looked confused, but she shook off her concerns.

"Well, get going, nightboy. You need to sleep right?"

Levi chuckled. "Nightboy, eh?"

Levi then continued walking upstairs to his room.

He left the door to his bedroom open, lied down on the bed, closed his eyes, and let sleep take over him.

Some time had passed, and Jackie went to Levi's room.

"Levi... you still sleeping... Levi?"

She saw a writhing Levi, still asleep, but fear was etched onto his face, gasping, mumbling words, trembling and slightly hyperventilating. It is clear that he is experiencing a nightmare, a deadly one at that.

Jackie gasped, hurriedly went up to his bed, and started shaking him to rouse him awake.

"Levi! Wake up! LEVI!" She screamed at him as she looked at him, her head above his. At the last call, Levi gasped, woke up, and screamed. He then rose up.

He looked around, and he stopped at her face. "Jackie... thank god." He leaned his head down and covered his face with his hands.

A look of concern washed over her face.

"Sounds like you had a nightmare." She said.

He closed his eyes, nodding. "Yeah. I had. I honestly thought that it was real." He said. He puts his hands down, and he looks at her.

"I think... I think I'm okay now..."

Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he screamed again. Jackie immediately held him, concerned and afraid for him, and she noticed his eyes, including his scleras, turn completely pure black. He then stopped screaming, and his eyes turned back into the normal shade of hazel.

"W-what was that?" She asked, shaken.

He breathed heavily, shaking his head. "I... I don't know. I mean, the pain... it was all so sudden. I just..."

Jackie lets go of him.

"That settles it." She said.

"What?" He said.

"Until these nightmares stop, I'm going to move to your room, and I'll be sleeping there."

"What?! Why do you need to do that? I can take it!"

"Because if this first nightmare is any indication, then your next ones will be just as bad."

"C'mon Jackie! This was just my first nightmare! I haven't had one in a long time... time... time..." Levi began to breathe heavily again, his eyes beginning to turn pure black again.

"This isn't good..." Jackie silently said, and then this time, darkness had taken over Levi's body. He screamed again in extreme pain. She saw the darkness hold him in a vice grip, but she also saw wisps of smoke coming out of his body.

The moment he had stopped screaming, his eyes once again turn back into hazel, and he falls unconscious from the mental pain.

Jackie sadly looked at him. "Levi..." She lays him down on the bed, and goes back to her room. Minutes later, she returned with a mattress and some pillows. She places them next to Levi's bed, and she lies down.

"Levi, what are you dreaming?" She silently asked to herself, as she fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, Jackie was taking out food to cook with from the fridge, when she saw Levi come down from the stairs. He was looking worse for wear, though. His eyes were pale, and his face shows tiredness.

"Morning..." Levi yawned. "... Jackie."

"You're up. Thank goodness." She said as she began to fry up hotdogs.

He scratched his head. "Yeah, told you, just needed some sleep." He then went to the fridge, and took out a pitcher of water. He took a glass out, and he poured water on the glass. However, his eyes were so tired that he closed them, and he let the pitcher pour out the water, causing the glass to overfill. When he opened them two seconds later, his eyes widened.

"Crap!" He said, putting the near-empty pitcher on the table, and then grabbed a towel to wipe off the spilled water. When he was finished, he turned back to look at Jackie. She was still cooking, seemingly unaware. Breathing a sigh of relief, he lays his right arm on the table, and then he suddenly swings it right, hitting the glass of watter, causing it to fall to the ground, with a resounding shatter.

Both teens flinched at the sound. They both turned to each other, and Levi closed his eyes in shame, shaking his head, while Jackie sighed.

 _ _'This is going to be a long day.'__ They both thought.

At school, the two of them sat next to each other in class, as Miss Skullnick passed the paper for the test.

"No talking, no passing of notes, no borrowing of anything, and NO cheating. Any questions?"

No response. "Now, you may begin answering now." She said, sitting on her chair, watching the students.

Levi was having a hard time focusing on the questions, as he still lacked the rest he needed.

Jackie meanwhile, was answering the questions, while subtly glancing at Levi. She noticed him shake his head numerous times before answering the question.

Back with Levi, he was now halfway through the test. He subtly looked at Jackie, who was busy answering her questions. He turned back to his paper, and he silently chuckled.

 _ _'Should I just wing it?'__ He thought. He shook his head immediately after. __'No. That isn't me. Despite the lack of rest, I do not do these kinds of stuff.'__

With renewed determination, he immediately gets back to answering.

One hour passes.

"Alright, pass your papers!" Miss Skullnick said, and the students did as told.

"Alright brats. Class is over. You're all dismissed!" She said as the bell rang.

The students exited the classroom. Levi held his temples as he inhaled. Jackie draped her arm around him.

"You okay?" Someone asked him. The two looked up and saw Marco and Star.

Levi groaned. "Ugh, not really. It isn't helping with that test either. But, you go on ahead."

"Are you sure? We're done with classes anyway, so we can take you two home." Marco said.

"No, Marco. You still have your blue belt test next Saturday, right?" Levi asked, to which Marco nodded.

"Go. You still need to prepare. I'll be fine." Levi said.

Star shook her head. "Not without taking you home, Levi." She said, and went to raise him up.

"C'mon Marco. Let's take him home." She said. Marco nodded once more, and the four took their stuff and walked out of the school.

Marco, despite the situation, was trying hard not to stutter, as he was next to Jackie as they walked home.

 _ _'Just gotta make sure I don't get nervous around her. I mean... she's just Jackie Lynn Thomas after all. Who's my crush... who might not notice me anyway...'__ Marco thought.

"So Marco..." Jackie began, breaking Marco's train of thought.

 _ _'Crap!'__ Marco thought. __'Stay calm Diaz... stay calm...'__ He was slightly shaking, but Star held his hand. He looked at her. She smiled and nodded at him. Marco nodded, and breathed calmly. He turned to Jackie.

"Yeah, Jackie?" He asked.

"Levi said that you have that karate test, right?"

He nodded. "Yup. What is it?"

"Who are you up against?"

At that question, Marco's face darkened and looked down. "It's that stupid Jeremy Birnbaum. That idiot thinks he has it all, just because his parents pay for his stuff."

"Sounds like he's bad news."

"Yup, he is. I have to ask you something, Jackie."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Will you and Levi come and watch?"

"Of course we will. We're your friends. Right Levi?" She turned to him. He was breathing heavily, but he looked at them and smiled. He then gave Marco a thumbs up.

"You can count us on that. We'll be there." Levi said.

Marco smiled. "Thanks guys. Cheer me on, alright?" The two nodded.

They then arrived at Jackie's house.

"Thanks for taking us home, you two." Jackie said. Star smiled at them.

"It was nothing. We're just doing what friends do." She said.

"You get better, okay Levi?" Marco said to him.

"Don't worry about me Marco. You just keep working on your karate, okay?" Levi said to him.

"Gotcha, Levi."

Levi and Jackie walked to the front door, while Star and Marco walked back home. Star waved goodbey at them. "See you two tomorrow!" She said. The two waved as well.

They then walked into the house. Levi and Jackie went into their respective rooms. They both put down their stuff and then went back to the living room.

"How are you feeling?" Jackie asked him.

"Tired. I'm really tired." Levi said and lied down on the couch.

"Hold on. I'll get you some water and meds." Jackie said and left, leaving Levi there.

 _ _'The past twenty four hours have been hectic for me. I haven't gotten nightmares since I was eight. But these nightmares are at a whole new level. Why? Why are these happening all so suddenly?'__ He wondered. Jackie then returned holding a glass of water and medicine. He sat up.

"Here. This should alleviate the pain for now." She told him.

"Thanks." He told her and took the glass and medicine. He then drank them. He then lied back down. She then sat down and placed his head on her lap.

"I'm sorry I put you up to this, Jackie." Levi said and looked up at her and sadly frowned. "I didn't really think it'd be this bad..." He was then cut off.

"Don't be, Levi. It isn't your fault." She simply said. It surprised him, but he softly smiled.

They both closed their eyes as they went to sleep for the afternoon. He didn't receive nightmares on that day.

The next few days weren't as bad as the first day he received his nightmares, but it still took a toll on him. He was tired physically and mentally, he looked pale and weak, but he still went to school at his insistence. And it concerned his best friend a lot. She only wondered why he would risk himself.

However, Thursday afternoon, it all came to a crashing halt.

* * *

Class had just ended and everyone was just coming out of their classrooms. Jackie, Janna, and Levi were talking to each other about various topics while walking out.

"So Janna, what's your plans for the weekend?" Levi asked.

"Not much, really. Maybe just stay at home. I mean, my parents don't really have any plans either." Janna said. "How about you two? Any plans?"

"Other than going to see Marco on his blue belt trial next weekend, nothing else for this weekend, really." Jackie said.

"Maybe dimension exploring, but..." Levi spoke, but he suddenly stopped.

"Levi? Something wrong?" Janna asked.

He coughed, but he then spoke, "Losing... consciousness... too... exhausted..." He then fell forward.

"LEVI!" They both said, and caught him before he crashed to the ground.

They both looked at him, and they saw his eyes closed, and his body even paler. Their eyes widened.

"Oh god. His body just shut down." Jackie said, panicked.

"We gotta take him home. Let's go!" Janna said. They carried him and ran.

They then got to Jackie's house. They immediately laid his body on the couch.

"What happened?" Another voice called out. The two turned and saw Star and Marco.

"His body just... shut down. All that exhaustion took a toll on him. And it became too much." Janna explained.

"Damn it... why... why did he still go?" Jackie said. Janna placed her right arm around Jackie.

"Can you do something with your wand, Star?" Marco asked her.

"I don't know, but I'll try." Star said.

She then chanted softly, and a blue glow appeared on her wand and was sent to Levi's body. The glow was then sucked into his body.

"There. It should put away some of his exhaustion. I'm sorry, but that's the best I can do." She said.

"That's okay, Star." Janna said.

About twenty minutes passed as they watched over him.

"We gotta go, Janna. We'll be back here tomorrow." Marco said. Janna nodded.

"Alright. Thanks for your help, Star."

"No problem." She said, and they both left.

Janna looked at the two.

 _ _'The best thing I can do is watch over them. I better call my__ _ _mom__ _ _to let__ _ _her__ _ _know.'__ Janna thought.

She took out her cellphone and went to the kitchen. She then called her mom. It kept beeping until her mother picked up her call.

"Hello, mom?... Yeah, I'm okay. Listen, I'm gonna stay over at Jackie's house for the night... One of my friends went down sick. Jackie's watching over him. I thought that the best thing I can do is watch over him as well, Jackie too. Is that okay?... Thanks mom... I'll be safe... love you too." She then ended the call.

When she came back, she saw both of them sleeping, holding hands. She smiled. She took a picture.

"I'll be keeping this. Now... I wonder what Jackie's got at the fridge..."

Outside the house, on a hill, the figure who had been watching them recently appeared once more. He chuckled.

"Stage one... set."

* * *

Jackie woke up. She looked around, and she saw nothing but an empty field. However, she saw Levi, looking at the sky. She rushed at him.

"Levi!" Jackie said. Levi turned and saw her as she hugged him. Despite his surprise, he wrapped his arms around her.

"You're here. I didn't expect you." He said to her.

"I didn't either. But, I'm glad you're safe." She said.

He sadly looked down. "Jackie, don't you know where we are?" He asked. Jackie shook her head.

Suddenly, the ground shook, then cracked, and the duo fell through the fissure. Then, they stopped falling, and they floated.

"Jackie, we're in my dreamscape. Or my nightmarish world, as it is currently." He said. Her eyes widened.

"I... I... I don't get it. How?" She asked him.

"I don't know either, but I must've pulled you in while we were both asleep." He surmised.

Then suddenly, Levi disappeared. She looked around for him, until she saw a bright spot. She approached it, and saw him there, at the school. She tried to get inside, but it proved useless. The best she could do is just wait and watch...

 _ _Levi walked with Jackie as recess time ended.__

 _ _"You sure you got your homework?" He asked her.__

 _ _She nodded."Yeah. I have it."__

 _ _"Then let's go-" He was then cut off by a blast of fire that hit him.__

 _ _He yelled in pain.__

 _ _"Who the hell..." He trailed off as he saw what was approaching him: a swarm of ants.__

 _ _"Oh no... oh no... oh no, oh no!" He said as he backed away.__

 _ _There was one fear that had stuck with him since he was eight: a swarm of ant-llike creatures, especially when they begin to envelop on his body. It had happened when he went exploring with his parents to the forests of Plurix, when he had unintentionally drifted off away from his parents. Then, when he realized that he was lost, he stayed in one place, and it happened to be next to a hill full of those creatures. All so suddenly, they came out of their home and attacked him. He tried to fight them off, but as he was only eight years old, there was nothing he could do. The tiny creatures quickly and overwhelmingly enveloped his body, and that was when his fear developed. He was only llucky that his parents found him in time, but the damage had been done. Since the event, he has refused to go to the forest to this day.__

 _ _He backed away to a corner, as he was surrounded by ants. He desperately looked around for Jackie, and he saw her, unconscious.__

 _ _The ants then began to swarm him.__

 _ _"No, get away, get away, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" He yelled out as he tried to pry away the ants on his body.__

 _ _However, the ants were becoming too much for him, and he all but whimpered in fear. The ants enveloped his entire body.__

 _ _Suddenly, a blast from inside blew away the ants.__

 _ _Levi changed. His entire body has now become pure black, with white markings on his arms, legs, and neck. His clothing also changed to black. But what was most frightening was his eyes. The color of his eyes changed, with the whites becoming black, and his irises becoming white, and looked soulless.__

 _ _Then, he spotted a flying creature. It had six arms, huge wings, and its body was entirely purple. WIthout warning, he rushed at it. The creature dodged the charge, and shot him with purple webbing. It caught him, but he easily destroyed the webbing. But suddenly, the winged creature held onto his shoulders, and they flied high into the air. He glared at the smiling creature, and powered out of her grip. However, just before he fell from the sky, he conjured a dagger, and stabbed through the creature's torso, mere inches away from hitting its heart. He held on to it as they began to descend to the ground.__

 _ _When they had crashed, Levi stood up, and went to see the fallen creature. Upon seeing it, Levi's eyes widened.__

 _ _The 'creature' he had stabbed was actually Star.__

 _ _And then everything changed. He turned back to normal, and he immediately held Star's body.__

 _ _"No... no... damn it... I'm sorry Star!" He said.__

 _ _"Someone! Someone help me! PLEASE!"__

 _ _"SOMEONE SAVE STAR!"__

 _ _He heard faint breathing, and he looked down, and saw Star looking at him.__

 _ _"Not... your... fault..." Star said.__

 _ _"I'm so sorry Star! I... I..."__

 _ _He stopped talking, and then he concentrated his energies onto his hand. Once finished, he placed his hand over Star's wound. When he took off his hand, he saw the wound covered by his energy, and the bleeding stopped.__

 _ _"That should help for now."__

 _ _He laid Star down, and went to Jackie. She sat up and saw him running to her.__

 _ _"Jackie! Are you okay?" He asked.__

 _ _"I'm... okay. What happened?"__

 _ _He didn't speak, and only led her to Star.__

 _ _"I... oh god Star!"__

 _ _Star only peacefully slept.__

 _ _"I didn't know... I wasn't in control... But I was able to save her... But... Star... I'm so sorry..." Levi couldn't help the tears in his eyes as he closed them.__

 _ _"You saved her from dying. You gave her a chance. She can still live. It isn't your fault." Jackie said to him, and hugged him.__

 _ _He opened his eyes as everything disappeared.__

* * *

Levi then looked around and saw nothing but darkness.

"I did not expect that." He heard a voice speak. He knew who it was.

"You're safe... thank goodness." He said and turned around to see Jackie.

"That was only a nightmare, Levi. It wasn't real." She reminded him.

"Sometimes, the nightmares you experience are so realistic that it makes you think that they're actually happening. I didn't know what was going on in my mind when I had changed. But when I saw Star... I broke out of it. I don't even know why I changed." He said.

"Well, you're here now. You're back here. With me." She said to him.

"I know."

"So from that nightmare, are you afraid of ants?"

Levi then explained what the incident.

"I get it. It's understandable." She said.

"I'm glad."

"So what happens now?" She asked him.

Before Levi could say another word, Jackie disappeared.

He looked around and saw a bright light, and approached it. There, he saw Jackie talking to two people.

"Oh no... if what she had seen was any indication, now she's gonna have a nightmare..."

It was all Levi could say.

 _ _"I don't get it... why?" Jackie said as she looked at two people.__

 _ _"Because we had to, honey."__

 _ _"'Because you had to?' Is that really the best excuse you two have?!'__

 _ _"We're sorry, Jackie." They both said, and left her.__

 _ _When they were gone, Jackie cried out her tears as she visibly deflated.__

 _ _"Damn it... I already lost my best friend. Now my parents just up and left me for good?! Why? Why does this happen?! WHY!" She lashed out.__

 _ _Abandonment. Everyone is afraid to be left alone, but Jackie fears it more than most people. Ever since her parents had seemingly left her, she had always been afraid that anyone she makes a personal connection with will leave her in the end, so, despite her status as a 'cool' kid, she only made very few true friends, which she had in Janna and Hope. However, Levi had the most profound effect on her ever since they had met. They always had each other's back, they supported each other a lot, and they've shared secrets that they've never told to anyone else, other than Star, in Levi's case. When Levi had seemingly left her, it had affected her a lot than anyone else had expected. Her parents fully abandoning her had been the straw that broke the camel's back.__

 _ _Secretly, she had an inferiority complex as well since then. She has hidden it very well, hiding it from most people. But sometimes, she had unknowingly revealed it in her darkest times. She felt, according to her, was lucky that it was only shown to her closest friends.__

 _ _Now... now that both links in her life had all but left her... she felt that she had nothing left.__

 _ _She then breathed calmly, and then sadly looked down.__

 _ _"That's it for me. There's nothing left." She said.__

 _ _Over the next few days, Jackie had changed altogether. She became more silent, more reclusive, and most of all, uncaring. It was concerning for a lot of her friends.__

 _ _"Hey Jackie, wanna come over to my place?"__

 _ _"Yo Jackie, wanna head to the park with me?"__

 _ _"Jackie, you got any plans?"__

 _ _"Jackie... what happened to you?"__

 _ _She ignored everything.__

 _ _Then, the day had arrived.__

 _ _She stood over a cliff overlooking the city.__

 _ _"Please... let me hear his voice one more time..." She said, and slowly walked closer and closer to the edge.__

 _ _"Just one second, and that's it..."__

 _ _"Jackie! Don't do it!" His voice came to her.__

 _ _"W-what?" She wondered, and turned around, and saw him.__

 _ _"I'm sorry I wasn't there! As your best friend I should've been there! But I wasn't, and I'm sorry!" Levi said to her.__

 _ _"Levi... how..."__

 _ _"Please Jackie... don't do this..." He said.__

 _ _She couldn't say anything. She backed away, but she slipped, and nearly fell, if not for Levi hugging her for dear life.__

 _ _She felt his tears.__

 _ _"You still have a reason to live. There's so many people still waiting there for you. I'm waiting for you. I don't want to lose you. So please don't die!" He held her tighter.__

 _ _Jackie only stood motionless. And then, she spoke.__

 _ _"I... oh god... what was I thinking?" She held him as well, as she cried with him, holding him tight as well.__

 _ _Then everything disappeared.__

* * *

Jackie saw Levi with a shocked expression, while she still held hers.

"I... I didn't... oh my god..." He said, and they both rushed to hug each other.

"I will never leave you, Jackie." He said to her.

"I... I won't leave you either." She said.

And then, everything changed.

They now stood outside a dilapidated building. They both pulled away to look at it.

"Do you know this?" Jackie asked him.

"I don't know. My nightmares make up some twisted stuff, but this one's new. I haven't experienced this one at all." He answered. They went inside the building.

They quietly walked around. They both saw a man in his early thirties wearing an old uniform.

"Who's that?" Jackie asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we should get a bit closer." Levi said, and they both went closer to the man. The man had looked down. The two did as well, and they saw two men. The first one was wearing a red full-body armor, with a dark navy undershirt and shorts. He was at his mid-forties, and he held red-irised eyes. The second one wore similar clothing, except for the armor, which the man didn't have. He was in his early thirties, and he has normal brown-irised eyes.

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" The armored man said. "HOW?! I WILL BE RESURRECTED... ONLY TO BE DEFEATED AGAIN?!"

"I'm sorry, master Quaranius, but the prophecy indicates so."

The armored man, now named Quaranius, calmed down. "To think... years of my rule, and I will be defeated twice. Gelrin, my most loyal ally, I can feel my eminent defeat, that which is unfortunately clear to me, but I will not let a second one befall me!" Quaranius said.

"I deeply apologize sir... but this is how it must be." The second man, Gelrin, sadly said.

"No need to be apologetic. I have sensed this defeat early on. However..." Quaranius said, but then paused.

"Sir... someone is here." Gelrin said.

"I know. I detected his presence already the moment he had arrived."

"Shit!" The man whispered, which both Levi and Jackie heard.

"Go, Gelrin. You have been most loyal. You may leave the war if you must. And I apologize for the pain it caused to you."

"I... thank you, master." He said, and then quickly left.

The spy was slowly sneaking away.

"No use now, spy. I already sensed your presence. I know where you are." Quaranius said, and he flashed to the man, surprising the spy, and the duo.

 _ _'He's fast!'__ They both thought. They then saw him pick up the spy by his neck.

"Hmph. My enemies could've at least sent a spy who could fight. But no, they sent instead a coward."

"I will never surrender to you!" The spy said. Quaranius madly laughed.

"You fool. You already have." He said, and took out a small dagger. He stabbed at his torso, hitting his heart. The spy held his chest after he had been released, but Quaranius slashed his neck. A green essence flew away from his body, sent to the sky. The spy fell forward, dead.

Quaranius jumped back down. He cackled madly. He didn't speak, but he unsheathed his weapons, two onyx sickles, as many other soldiers came through and charged towards him. He grinned and charged as well towards them.

Levi and Jackie only watched in shock as the carnage and destruction unfolded. They both saw a bolt strike one of the pillars of the building, and sensed the building almost collapsing. "Let's get out of here!" Jackie said, and they both ran.

Falling debris had then followed soon after. They ran faster.

"Look, I see an exit!" Jackie said.

They both ran towards it, and they jumped the gap to the exit, and a flash of white light enveloped them.

They both then woke up, still holding hands. They had slept the entire previous afternoon and night.

"That was..." Jackie

"... crazy. I know." Levi said.

Levi felt no more exhaustion, both physically and mentally. His appearance had changed. He wasn't as pale and weakly as he was before.

"But, I think it's over." He added. He turned to Jackie, who was looking down.

"I almost thought that nightmare was real. But one thing was real, and that's the fact that I'm weak. I can't believe I went down so low..." Jackie said, but was unexpectedly hugged by Levi.

"Don't you ever say that, Jackie. You're strong too. You just need to believe in yourself. Like how you're good in skateboarding. You're very confident, and if you can be confident in your skateboarding skills, then you can be confident anywhere." He calmly said. Jackie widened her eyes, but she returned his embrace.

"You're right. I can believe in myself. Thanks, Levi." She said. Levi smiled. "You just needed a pep talk. No harm done, right?"

Jackie nodded.

Then, when they remembered that the day is Friday, realization dawned on their faces.

"WE'RE LATE!" They both said.

"Nah, don't worry." Someone voiced out, and they both saw Janna holding a nacho chip, which she then ate it.

"Why's that?" They both asked her.

"I explained it to our teacher, and they gave us the permission to be absent today. No one else knows. And by us, I mean you two, me, Star, and Marco." Janna explained.

"Star and Marco?" They both asked.

"Yup!" Star said as she appeared along with Marco. They both held plates of nachos as they placed them on the table.

"We figured that maybe the food will help you get your strength back. So I made my special nachos!" Marco said.

"Wow... you guys would do that for us?" Levi asked.

"Of course. That's what friends are for, right?" Star said.

The two smiled at the three. Then, Levi's stomach rumbled. He blushed in embarrassment. "Guess I'm hungry." He said, and then Jackie's stomach rumbled as well. Jackie blushed. "Well, you're not the only one." She said.

They all laughed.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's dig in!" Marco said, and they all went to eat.

Outside the house, the figure finished his observation. He then chuckled and stood up. "Stage one, complete. Stage two, set." He ominously said. He disappeared in a void once again.

* * *

 ** **AN: So, the changes are pretty obvious, from Janna being in this episode, to the nightmares the two experienced, and to how much time had passed. The nightmares they experienced will have future implications in future episodes, and the man in shadows reappears once more.****

 ** **So, I'm pretty sure you all know what the next episode will be: Monster Arm! So get going to the next chapter already! Oh, but before that, please leave a review, a follow, a favorite, heck maybe all three! See you all in the next one!****

 ** **Update (1/29/17): I edited one extremely glaring error in this chapter that would not make sense once you read one of the future chapters. For those who had already, I'm sure you'll have noticed it too.**** ** **I forgot that Janna's father is dead at the time of this chapter's events. I simply edited that out. So sorry for that mistake.****


	6. Year 1 - Monster Arm

**AN: If you had unkowingly skipped Episode 4 and got into this one, DO NOT READ PAST THIS PARAGRAPH. I REPEAT, DO NOT READ PAST THIS PARAGRAPH. I'm saying that because the previous episode is a very vital point in this series, so you should read that one before this one. It's because I made a double update, publishing both this episode and the previous one at the same time, with this being the second half. Now, on the other hand, if you've already read Nightmares of Fear and you're ready to read this one, you may move on.**

 **So, this episode, as stated at the previous episode, is the rewrite of Monster Arm. I've added a few scenes between the next morning after Marco got his arm and the time they went to teh cafeteria because I felt that the episode didn't really show the struggle Marco got with his arm. Also, I've added another extra bit at the end. You'll just have to continue reading to find out.**

 **Episode 5 - Monster Arm  
Premise: When Marco breaks his arm while preparing for his test, Star tries to fix it with magic, causing disastrous results.**

* * *

It had been almost a week since Levi's nightmares ended. It was Thursday in Echo Creek.

At Marco's house, he had been preparing for his blue belt test, crushing wooden planks, while Star watched.

"HIII-YAAHH!" He screamed, striking his arm down on the wooden plank, crushing it with ease.

"I'm not sure as to how crushing wooden planks with your arms help with preparing for your blue belt test, Marco. I mean, it might do you more harm than good." Star commented, looking at him in confusion.

"It's to test your arm strength and durability, Star."

"I don't know, Marco... but I do like wood being crushed! Wood's the worst!" She said excitedly.

"Star, Star, you have to learn that karate is all about honor and discipline." He calmly said, looking at her.

"And what was it you're saying that you'll kick Jeremy's butt on Saturday? That isn't exactly being honorable and disciplined, you know. You're bragging."

"I... well... look, Jeremy's a very unfair guy. That's reasonable enough. I mean come on, his parents buy him special equipment and private lessons for crying out loud! Wouldn't that give him an unfair advantage over the rest of us?"

'Well, when you look at it that way, Jeremy does need to be taught a lesson."

"Yeah, and he'll get a lesson courtesy of me, and he'll have a taste of this!"

Marco took three wooden planks and stacked it on the two standing cinderblocks.

"HIII-YAHHH!" He yelled and proceeded to strike down on the wooden planks. However, he did not notice that his arm was aimed on the parts of the plank supported by the cinderblock.

His right arm impacted on the block. It didn't take long for Marco to scream in immense pain, and he held his arm, as he lied down.

"MARCO!" Star said, and went to him. She quickly draped his left arm around her, and stood up.

"Star, hold my arm- OW! Slowly!"

"Sorry Marco!"

They both carefully walked downstairs.

Marco's parents, Rafael and Angie, saw them, along with Levi and Jackie.

"Marco!" They all said, rushing to him.

"Are you okay, mijo?" Rafael asked.

"Ow... yeah, except... I broke my arm." Marco said.

At that, they all gasped.

"We must take him to the hospital!" Angie said.

They all nodded, and Rafael went to start the car, leaving the rest.

"What the hell happened, man?" Levi asked.

"Ow... I was preparing for my blue belt test... and then, ow... I had accidentally struck my arm on the concrete block, which broke the bones in my arm." Marco explained, looking at his pained arm.

"That must've hurt a lot. But be careful next time, mijo." Angie told him.

"Yeah, I will mom. I'll make sure to look where I'm aiming." Marco said.

"C'mon kids, the car is set. Let's go." Rafael said as he came back.

Everyone nodded, and went to the car.

Seconds later, they were driven off to the hospital.

(Line Break)

Marco placed his unbroken left arm on his forehead. After the visit to the hospital, he had been given a cast on his broken right arm. Star, well, being Star, used her colored pens to write get well statements on the cast. Right now, they were both at Star's room, with Marco lying down on her bed.

"This is a disaster! If I don't fight Jeremy on Saturday, then he'll say I wussed out, he'll never live it down, and I'll be embarrassed forever! Especially since Jackie and Levi will be there." Marco said.

Meanwhile, across the room, Star was changing her hairstyles by using her wand.

"Pigtails... ponytails... pigtails... ponytails..." She said as she used her wand on her hair.

Marco, seeing Star's use of the wand...

Meanwhile, Jackie and Levi were walking home, choosing to do so instead of going with the Diaz's and Star to their house. Levi felt a shiver in the back of his neck. He stopped walking, and Jackie did so too, looking at him expectantly.

"I'm having a feeling that Marco thought up of a bad idea, and Star's gonna mess up said idea." Levi said.

"Why's that?" Jackie asked.

"Well, considering that Marco's test is on Saturday, and he broke his arm today, he'll be trying to get Star's help with her magic, and she'll say the wrong magic spell, and by Pyrith something bad will happen to Marco."

Jackie shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe we'll see what happened to them tomorrow."

* * *

"Wait a minute... that's it!" Marco said.

"What, what is it?" Star asked.

"You could use your magic wand to do a bone-healing spell!" He said.

"I don't know Marco... those kinds of spells are not in my department, but... if you want, I can give you a pretty wicked set of pigtails!" She said, and she used her wand on her hair again, causing a combination of pigtails and ponytails. She looked at the mirror. "Heh, oops."

"Pigtails?" He groaned.

As Star used her wand on her hair to change it back to pigtails, she gasped, remembering a certain thing.

"Wait... I do have a magic instruction book. Maybe I can find a bone-healing spell for your arm." She said.

Star then walked over to her bed and crouched under it, reaching out to take a big dusty book.

"Wait... all this time you had a instruction book on your wand?" He asked her.

"Yup! Whenever the holders of the wand learn and master a new spell, they write it down here." She explained.

She opened the book. A dust cloud formed, and Star coughed. "However, it's a complete disorganized mess... it'll take forever for me to... oh, there it is!" She spotted the spell.

"Really? You got it?" Marco asked. Star nodded.

"It's in an ancient secret language, it seems." Star noted. She stood up. "But anyways..."

" _Releasio... Demonius... Infestica!_ " Star chanted with a grin, as a beam of purple-and-green light emanated from the wand, hitting Marco's arm.

"I... I can feel it! My fingers are tingling! I think it's working!"

Marco expected a fixed up arm. Instead, what he got was a _huge_ tentacle arm.

Marco's face turned from delight to horror, and screamed.

Star gasped in horror. She began to turn the pages. "I can fix this, I can fix this!" As she continued turning the pages, Marco whimpered and looked at the tentacle arm in horror, as it wildly swung around.

"There has to be a spell to change it!" Star said as she kept on flipping the pages.

The arm swung the book out of the room, and the duo only looked at each other, and then at the arm, and then back at each other in shock and horror.

Meanwhile, the book landed in front of Levi and Jackie's feet as they walked.

"What's this?" Jackie wondered as Levi crouched and inspected the book.

"This is... this is Star's spellbook! Something must've happened at their house!"

"We better get to there!" She said, and Levi held her hand.

He took the book, and said to her, "Hold on."

Darkness enveloped the two, and they flew to Marco's house. They landed at Star's room, and the darkness disappeared. The two looked at the sight in shock as the arm limped and stopped moving.

Levi regained his bearings first, and he smirked and told Jackie, "Told you it would happen."

Jackie's response was to punch his arm. "Not the right time, man." She told him.

* * *

Marco was _not_ having a good morning at all. First, he was met with a smack of the monster arm on his head, along with the slime that comes with it, covering him with both, disgusting him. Next, as he took a bath, with the arm swinging around, it smacked away the soap he held and upped the water temperature to high levels of heat, causing him to burn red with pain. Lastly, as he changed into his daily clothes, the arm ripped his first hoodie, causing him to carefully change while keeping the arm at bay. He came away after two of his hoodies were ripped apart.

Now, he was at the breakfast table, holding his toast, when his arm slapped away the said toast before he could eat, let alone take a bite. He groaned.

Star came down, looking _very_ frazzled and restless, and sat down.

She yawned. "Morning Marco, morning monster arm. I was up all night working on it, but I still can't find a spell." She was about to take her glass of orange juice, before the arm grabbed it and poured the contents over Marco's head and threw it away, causing the glass to break.

From the kitchen, Angie called out to them, "Don't worry you two! I'll take care of it. You both best get to school."

They both sighed. _'This is going to be a long day.'_ They both thought before leaving with their stuff for school.

They arrived at school, meeting up with Levi.

"Where's Jackie?" Star asked, wondering where the skateboarder is.

"She went with Janna and Hope. You look tired, _very_ tired, Star." Levi answered.

"Eh, this is nothing, Levi." She said, before she yawned.

"Let's just get going, you two." Marco said to them before walking in.

The two followed him.

In Math class, miss Skullnick handed out test papers to the students.

"You all know the rules. Any questions?" She asked.

Marco raised his arm. Well, his monster arm raised itself for him. "Yes, um... can I be excused?" He asked.

"No, mister Diaz. Having a monster arm isn't an excuse for not taking my test." She said. Marco lowered his head and sighed in exasperation.

She looked around. "Now, if no one else has questions, you may all begin... NOW!" She said.

Marco took his pen and started to solve and write the answers on the paper. However, the arm was wildly swinging around him, interfering with his solving and his focus. Thankfully, he prevented the arm from placing itself on the paper, or else it wouldn't have been readable. Despite that, he still had to answer the test, which now gave him a harder time.

About one hour later, miss Skullnick called out, "Time's up everyone!"

"B-b-b-b-but-but-but..." Marco stammered, as he only answered half of the questions. Nonetheless, Skullnick took his paper.

"No excuses, mister DIaz. I'm a troll, and you don't see me complaining." She said to him, and left the classroom.

 _'If it was an unmoving arm then I wouldn't be having a hard time here!'_ Marco said to himself, glaring at the door. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Levi, shaking his head.

"No use now, Marco. Let's get to gym class." Levi said. He sighed, but he walked with him to the changing room.

"Okay, class, all you have to do is climb this rope in the alloted time." The coach, Coach Clive, said to them.

"Both girls and boys have a minute and thirty. Let's start with Johnson and Diaz." He said.

"No use in complaining..." Marco muttered to himself, before heading off to the rope base. Janna looked at him with a smirk. Marco only rolled his eyes at her.

"I win, I get your keys again. You win, well..." Janna said.

"Whatever, Janna." He said.

They both rubbed their hands... well, Janna did. Marco clasped his hand and the end of his monster arm together.

"Ready, set, GO!" Coach said and blew the whistle. They both then jumped on the rope and began to climb. Janna was steadily ascending to the ceiling, while Marco was also climbing up, but the arm was making it harder for him to climb up. Soon enough, Marco was steadily climbing up while keeping the arm at bay. However, by the time he was able to do so, Janna had already gotten to the end of the rope.

"Johnson finishes with forty-five seconds. C'mon Diaz!" Coach said.

 _"Damn it, this arm is just killing me here! Getting... sluggish... should I... should I fall?'_ Marco thought in despair as the arm was tiring him.

"Go Marco!" Star cheered.

"Go for it, Marco!" Levi said.

"You can do it Marco!" Jackie cheered.

Janna, sitting at the beam holding the ropes, told Marco, "C'mon Marco. You've beaten me here before. Will you just give up because of some tentacle arm? Come on Marco!"

 _'They're right. I can't let this arm put me down! C'mon Diaz, you've faced worse than this!'_

Marco, spurred on by their words, and his renewed determination, climbed higher and faster, undeterred by the arm, blocking it. Eventually, Marco reached the top.

"Diaz finishes with a minute and two seconds. Not bad you two." Coach said. They both climbed down.

"Not bad, Marco. But you know our deal." Janna told him, smirked, and ran for the changing room.

"Are you serious, Janna?! Come on!" Marco ran as well, going after her.

"Next, Wong and Yoren, to the ropes!"

A few hours later, Levi, Star, and Marco were walking in the cafeteria, holding their trays, looking for a place to sit, while Marco struggles to keep the arm at bay from destroying his lunch. They finally found a place to sit, but soon they found a crowd being formed.

Levi and Marco looked at each other and nodded.

"I know what you're both gonna do. I'll just watch it from here. You both go." Star reassuringly said and gave them a smile.

With that, the two boys walked over to the crowd. There, they saw at the center was Lars, and a short nerdy kid holding his lunch tray. Lars was grinning like the bully he was, and the short kid was looking at him nervously.

"Hey kid. I got a joke for ya." Lars said to him.

"What?" The kid asked.

"What's the most important meal of the day?"

"Um... huh?"

Lars then slapped the kid's lunch tray from his hands.

"It's breakfast!" He said and then laughed.

The kid nervously laughed, and said, "Th-That's a good one Lars... yeah..." he then leaned down to get his tray, and Lars shoved his face on the pink frosting on the cupcake on the tray. Lars laughed.

Levi looked at Marco, and his eyes told him _'Let me handle this first.'_ Marco nodded. He walked up front and asked the crowd, "Hey, mind if I talk?"

No one responded, and he smirked. "Good." He then turned to Lars. "I always love a good joke, and I don't even need to hear one, because this guy here is the damn joke."

The crowd chuckled.

"Hey, I mean no disrespect to you, mister Big Shot Bully, but where did you get off harassing short, smart kids like this one here, hm? The internet?"

"Hey... um, I'm-"

"Yeah, I know, Lard... since your name's Lars and you're fat like a pig, I figured, why don't I just call you Lard, eh?"

The crowd laughed at that. Lars grew angry at that.

"Seriously, where did you get that joke, Lard? That's the worst joke I've ever heard in my life! Even worse than that overused joke about the Bulls, which you are one."

The crowd laughed louder. Lars felt his anger boil over, and he threw a punch at Levi, who easily dodged the attack. Lars tried again to punch him, but he caught the bully's fist. He roughly pushes it down.

"Here's the thing, Lard. You know what you are? You're nothing more than a bully who hurts people for no reason, a bully who loves to make fun of others just to make you feel good, and you're nothing more than someone who doesn't deserve to be at the bottom of someone else's shoes. You deserve to be at the bottom of the ground. And that's the truth." He said, the tone being colder and colder as he spoke.

The crowd gasped. Lars, finally fed up, ran after Levi, who smirked and ran as well. Levi stopped at Marco. The arm then swung and punched Lars.

"What the?!" Lars said in surprise, before being hit nine more times. He then ran away crying.

"Unless you realize your mistakes, _which I don't think you will_... you will never earn my respect, or anyone else's." Levi darkly said. The monster arm then picked up the kid and wiped off the frosting from his face.

"I am in your debt, you two." The kid said before being pushed aside by Ferguson.

"You two are heroes!" Ferguson exclaimed, and the crowd cheered. Levi walked away and back to Star.

"Why'd you come back?" Star asked him. Levi shrugged.

"I only riled up the kid real bad. Besides, Marco deserves this." He said.

They turned to the crowd.

 _'Gotta admit, the arm is kinda cool.'_ Jackie thought. "Can I check out that arm?" She asked Marco.

"Uhhhh... sure... why not." Marco said, and the arm went to Jackie, Hope, and Janna.

"I want it to be my boyfriend!" Janna said while touching the arm. Hope also did the same.

"High five!" Jackie said, and she and the arm did so. Marco smiled.

Levi turned to Star. "We better eat. It's gonna get cold." He said, and the two did so.

 _'That arm... I can feel that it's up to no good. Something isn't right with that arm.'_ Levi thought.

* * *

Later that night, at Star's room, Marco was lying down on Star's bed, playing with the tentacle arm, while Star was searching through her spellbook.

"I got it! A reverse tentacle spell... I think." She said.

"I think you should practice that spell on something first." Marco suggested.

"Way ahead of you." Star said reaching down. "It's a good thing I have a lot of potted plants." She then took one out and placed it on the table.

 _"Incoming Call From... Levi Yoren."_ The magic mirror in Star's room said in an automated voice.

"Accept call." Star said.

"Hey Star. Hey Marco." Levi said.

"Hey, Levi." They both said.

"What'cha doing?" He asked.

"I'm practicing the spell that will return Marco's arm to normal."

"I'm just playing with this cool arm."

" _Returnio... Armius... Normalritecus!_ " Star said, a beam of yellow striking the plant, burning it to a crisp. Star shuddered, Marco gulped, and Levi widened his eyes.

"I'm gonna go to bed now. 'Night Star." Marco said and left the room.

Star then took out another potted plant. "Don't worry! I'll get it!" She said.

" _Returnius... Armius... Normalrinny!_ " She said again, a beam of light red striking the plant. However, instead of burning, the plant exploded.

"Yikes..." Star said, a bit shocked.

"We're heading to your house tomorrow, Star. Just... don't overdo it, okay?" He said to her. She paid no mind to him and took out another plant. Levi sighed. "Goodnight Star. Be careful." He said, and ended the call.

"How's Star doing?" Jackie asked.

"Not good." Levi said.

The next day, Saturday, Levi and Jackie went over to the Diaz household.

"Hello there, you two." Rafael cheerily said.

"Morning, Mister Diaz." The two said. "Is Star and Marco there?" Jackie asked.

"They're upstairs." Rafael said.

"Okay, thanks Mister Diaz!" Levi said as they walked in and went upstairs, before they saw a yellow and green blur run past them. They followed to Marco's room.

"Six hundred seventy-three... six hundred seventy-four... six hundred seventy-five..." Marco was doing push-ups with monster arm at his room, as Star slammed the door open.

"MARCO I DID IT! I DID IT! I FOUND THE SPELL!" Star said, jumping up and down.

Marco laughed. "Hey guys, I think this arm can actually help me take out Jeremy!" He said. He raises his monster arm and aims it at nine wooden planks stacked on top of each. "HIIII-YAHHHH!" He slams down the arm, crushing all of them. He wipes the sweat off his forehead.

"Wait... you're gonna fight Jeremy with _that_? I don't know Marco... that sounds kinda unfair."

Hearing at that, Marco's expression turned dark and he slowly approached Star. "Ohhhhh I see. It's funny because you never had a problem using magic when it benefits _you_. But when it benefits _me_ , you want to take it away! How is this unfair?" He said to her.

Star became fearful and she told him, "Marco... I think that arm's a bad influence on you." An arm then appears and divides the two, and Levi steps in the middle, facing Marco.

"Wait, Marco. Listen, in the time that I've been friends with Star, she has _never_ used magic to give herself a benefit. What justifies your arm being unfair? You're using it in a competition, in a test, by the way! You use that arm, and you might be disqualified for it."

"Really now? Well, I think you three should leave now." He said, and the arm pushed the trio out of Marco's room.

"Wha?!... Fine then! B-" That was all Star could say before the door slammed shut in front of her face.

"Damn it! That arm is up to no good at all!" Levi cursed.

"Star, what are we gonna do now?" Jackie asked.

Star yawned. "Oh god, Star... don't tell me you've been finding that spell all night!" They both said. "Yeah, I was... finally found the spell after four hundred twenty three tries." She yawned again, and began to feel hazy. Right as she was about to fall, Jackie caught her in her arms.

"She's asleep, isn't she?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Wait here."

Levi then went to Star's room. He opened the door, and, "... what the hell?" He said aloud as he saw tons of potted plants, all either cut up, burned, turned into ash, and many other results.

He then spotted the spellbook on her bed and grabbed it. He closed the door and got back to Jackie.

"Let's go."

At the strip mall dojo, Alfonzo and Ferguson were sitting at the top row of the crowd seats, waiting.

"Excuse us... sorry about that... if you guys could please just move..." They heard. They both turned their heads and saw Levi and Jackie carrying a sleeping Star.

"... and there! Finally got to sit down!" Levi said.

"Whoa, what happened to Star?" Ferguson asked.

"She's been up all night for two days to find the spell that can restore Marco's arm back, but she hasn't found it yet, until now."

"... been up for two nights trying to fix his monster arm... then he gets mad... and now, we're here to watch him do karate!" Star said, waking up.

"Here, Star. Just rest your head on my shoulder." Jackie said. Star laid her head down on her shoulder, slightly smiling. She yawned, and told her, "Thanks, Jackie."

"Guys, I think it's about to start." Alfonzo noted.

There, down at the mat, stood the dojo sensei.

"Allow me to introduce our first competitor, Jeremy Birnbaum!" He said, pointing his hand at the left side. There, stood a tall man shrouded in a blue cloak. He shouted and took off his cloak, revealing a short blonde boy, wearing karate gi and a black belt. Star then widened her eyes, along with her four friends.

" _That's_ Jeremy Birnbaum?!" Star asked, shocked. "That kid couldn't be older than eight years old!" Ferguson said, also shocked.

"You're kidding me. This is that kid?! Even though he has that monster arm, I hope Marco beats him fair and square." Levi said, narrowing his eyes as he focused at him.

"We love you son!" From another part of the crowd, Jeremy's mother cheered.

"Shut up mom!" Jeremy said.

"Okay, I reconsider my words. I hope Marco kicks the rich boy down seven ways to Sunday!" Levi said.

"Easy, Levi." Jackie said.

"And his opponent, Marco Diaz!"

At the opposite side, Marco coolly looks at Jeremy, the arm hanging limply on the floor. He walks forward.

"Wait, he's got a monster arm!" Jeremy complained. " Yeah I know! Pretty cool right?" The dojo sensei said.

Then suddenly, the arm grabs Jeremy by his neck and tosses him around, while Jeremy screams in fear and pain. The arm slams him to the floor, to the walls, to the punching bag, pretty much anywhere that it could slam itself upon. It even throws Jeremy up through the ceiling, grabbing him as he fell. It slams Jeremy at the trophy case. The arm then releases Jeremy, who falls to the floor with a thud.

The dojo sense shrugged. "Point, Diaz." He said.

As Jeremy struggles to stand up, Marco cockily smiles at Jeremy's prone form. "Heh, where are your private lessons now, Jeremy?" He asked. The arm then picks up Jeremy's body. It laughed. "He's beaten. Now finish him!" It said.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Marco asked it.

"This is what you've always wanted. Destroy him! Eat his bowels!" The arm said.

Jeremy, hearing this, flails helplessly, waving his arms and legs. "Not my bowels! I love my bowels!" He said in fear.

"Okay, first of all, I just wanted to beat Jeremy and pass the test and get my blue belt! Second, Jeremy, that's disgusting." Marco said. The mouth on the arm frowned.

"If you're too weak to finish it... then I'll do it myself!" It said, and tore open Jeremy's shirt, exposing his stomach. Jeremy screams.

"Star was right... you _are_ a bad influence!" Marco said.

"And you're pathetic-ooofff!" It said before being met with a kick, causing it to throw away Jeremy. He impacts the punching bag, causing him to fall face-first to the floor.

"Point, Diaz." The sensei said.

"Who did that?!" It asked.

"I did." Marco and the arm turned, and they saw Jackie.

"Jackie?!" Marco asked in shock.

"Guys, now is the good time to wake up Star!" Jackie said. She turned back to the two. "Alright then. Let's dance, tentacle arm." She leaped at its direction. It roared at her.

At the seats, Ferguson and Alfonzo were busy waking up Star, while Levi was searching the spellbook.

"Come on, where's the page of that spell?" Levi said as he turned the pages.

"STAAAAAAAAAARRR!" Ferguson screamed at Star, who was still sleeping.

"Use this!" Alfonzo said, giving Ferguson a cup. "Oh, thank you!" He then sipped from the cup. "Not for you! On Star!" Alfonzo said. "Oh, right!" Ferguson said. He opened the lid and splashed her face with the water from the cup.

"AAAHH! What the?!" Star said, and she saw Jackie struggling with the arm.

"Use your spell now, Star!" Jackie said.

"Right! Returnio Armius Normalrino!" She said, and a blast of magic struck, but the arm dodged it. It instead hit a punching bag, turning it into an arm.

"Star!" Levi called out.

"What?!" She said, stunned as she kept on blasting the arm with magic, which the arm keeps on dodging, along with Jackie, who was still fighting it.

"What's the spell you used on the broken arm?"

"Oh! It has Infestica, Releasio, and Demonius as the spell words. I can't use the words in order right now!"

"What?! Come on!" Levi sighed. He really shook his head on that one. _'Star, I love you as my sister, but you can really be a ditz sometimes!... Well, that's part of the reason we love her anyway.'_

He then found the page of the spell.

"It's in a secret ancient language, it seems." Levi noted. "Good thing I have my translator glasses." He took out a pair of dark blue framed glasses and wore it.

"Set it to English, and we're all set!" He said, doing so. He then looked down at the page again, and read the spell.

 _Releasio Demonius Infestica  
_ A transformation spell that can transform any limb or body part into a dark demonic limb. When a day or two has passed, the demonic limb will become alive, and it will influence the affected being, unless the being has a resistance to its influence. Also, the demonic limb will grow in strength after twenty four hours each.

The only way the demonic limb can be returned to its former state is the spell _Restorio Limbus Normalitus._

 **NOTE:** **DO NOT USE ANY OTHER SPELL ON THE LIMB EXCEPT FOR THE AFORMENTIONED SPELL. DOING SO WILL ONLY STRENGTHEN THE DEMONIC LIMB.**

"SHIT!" Levi cursed aloud, and he saw Jackie about to be thrown towards the crowd.

"EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He yelled, and everyone did so. He was able to catch Jackie in his arms, but the seats collapsed, and he shielded her from the impact.

"You okay?" He asked her. She shook her head to recover, and told him, "I'm fine. Keep searching for the spell!" She then immediately left and Levi went back to the book, before noticing that only he, Star, Marco, Jackie, the dojo sensei, the unconscious Jeremy, Ferguson, and Alfonzo were the only ones remaining on the dojo.

"Come on, where is that spell?! There it is!"

 _Restorio Limbus Normalitus  
_ This spell can return any limb back to its natural state, regardless of whatever current form it is in. This also heals any ailments the affected limb has, ranging from infection, to diseases, and broken bones.

After reading the spell, Levi looked and saw the arm trapped with arms locking it, and Marco said, "Star, NOW!"

Star grinned. "Returnio Armius..."

"STAR, NOOOO!"

"NORMALRINO!"

The blast of magic struck the arm. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the arm laughed.

"YOU FOOLS! The spell has now made me stronger!" It said, and got itself free from the arms' grip.

"What?! Why didn't it work?!" Star said, looking at her wand.

Levi stood up. "Because the spell actually makes it stronger! There's only one spell that can change him back, and it's-" Before Levi could say anything more, a portal appeared, and monsters came out.

"Ahhhh Star Butterfly!" They all heard a high-pitched sinister voice.

Star gasped. "Ludo!"

"We're back! And we're going to take that wand again!" Ludo said.

 _'Could they have not come at a worse time than this?! The only way this could only get worse is if Lynx gets here... which I hope I didn't jinx it.'_ Levi thought. He looked at the scene unfolding in front of him: Jackie was staring down at Marco and the arm, Star stared down at Ludo and his army, and the dojo sensei was in the middle of it all, while Ferguson and Alfonzo must've hidden away the moment Ludo and his minions appeared, along with carrying away Jeremy. All in all, Levi was definitely _not_ pleased with Ludo's appearance. He shrugged it off, though, and closed the book. He stood up and walked over to the middle of the field.

"Hey, dojo teach!" He called out. That got his attention, and he turned to him. "Help us out, will ya?" He asked him. They both smirked. He cracked his knuckles. "Help out Star and Marco. Me and Jackie will handle these monsters." The dojo sensei nodded, leaped up and landed next to Star, while Levi walked next to Jackie, staring down Ludo and the monsters.

"Now, we may not be green belts in karate, like Marco here, but let us assure you..."

"... just like Star and Marco, we aren't slouches when it comes to fighting monsters."

Ludo growled. "GET THEM!" He ordered. The monsters all roared and went after them. Levi conjured a skateboard for Jackie and a two chains for himself, and they then charged after the monsters.

Jackie rode her dark skateboard and did an ollie, while dropkicking Man Arm on his midsection as the skateboard rolled on and hit him on his legs. Man Arm grunted, as he tried to grab Jackie, but she took her skateboard and swung it towards him, hitting his head. He groaned as he held his head. She jumped on his head and hit him again with her skateboard. As he grabbed Jackie, however, she kicked him again and threw the skateboard, this time hitting Spikeballs. She backflip kicked Man Arm before leaping towards Spikeballs and Bearicorn.

Levi meanwhile was fighting both Three-Eyed Potato Baby and Lobster Claws. He punched both of them simultaneously with his chain-wrapped hands and wrists. He spun around, unwrapping the chains, creating a spinning chain tornado, using them like nunchaku. The two monsters tried to grab him, but he used his chains to individually wrap both of them in it, before unwinding them, causing them to spin uncontrollably, before colliding with each other, heads-first. They were both stunned. Taking advantage, Levi wrapped together his chainlinks, and he swung it at them, striking them, launching them backwards before they hit the wall, wherein they were knocked unconscious.

"What do we do, miss Star?" The dojo sensei asked. The arm was now a lot bigger, and it had developed more tentacles after it got hit with the spell.

"We have to find a way to trap the arm for me to get a good shot. But I need to ask Levi what the spell was."

"I'm a bit busy at the moment!" He called out, struggling against a two-headed monster.

"Okay, let's just lock him in. Then I'll ask." Star said. They both nodded.

"Don't worry Marco dude, we'll get you out of this!" Sensei said.

"If you could hurry up, then I'd be glad!" Marco said.

"Anything you can do, you two, it won't work!" The arm said, and the other tentacles went after them. They both jumped away from them, and kicked the appendages.

Star then used her wand to create a metal staff. "Think you can use this?" Star asked sensei. "No problem." He said and took the staff. "While I can't use any spells, that doesn't mean I can't use objects created by spells on him, right?" Star said. The arm snarled. "Loophole. No matter, I will finish you three!" This time, all the appendages, including the main one, struck forth. The dojo sensei blocked it with the staff. He hit one of the secondary tentacles, knocking it down, while Star jumped and kicked the other tentacles, knocking them back. She then conjured a hook and chain and threw it upward, the hook hanging on the beams. She hanged on and swung back and forth, closer and closer to the tentacles, before she wrapped the arm in the chains. The arm snarled again, but the dojo sensei struck it hard with the staff, knocking it out cold, limping.

"Heh, that should do it." Star said. She then turned to the other side.

Jackie and Levi were then leaning on each other back-to-back, as the monsters surrounded them.

She turned to him. "Wanna do it?"

He smirked. "Heck yeah. Let's show them our move!"

He grabbed Jackie's arms, and they spun around. Levi kept swinging her as Jackie kicked the monsters' faces, knocking them back. He stopped swinging and spinning, and placed her down.

"Star, NOW"

Star looked at the monsters, and grinned. "Mega... Narwhal..."

"Not that spell, Star!"

Star stopped, and looked around. She laughed it off. "Oops, sorry. Kinda forgot about that."

She inhaled. "Magic Crystal Knock-Out Blast!" Clear crystals shot out of Star's wand, and one each hit the monsters, knocking them out cold as well.

Ludo looked around, and he only saw Buff Frog being the only remaining active minion. He sighed.

"Again, we lost! And this time, you fools couldn't even beat Butterfly's friends! You idiots are worthless! Except for you Buff Frog." Ludo said.

"Thank you, Ludo, master." Buff Frog said.

"Help me carry them back to my castle. They're all asleep."

"Want some help with that?" Levi asked.

Ludo pondered on this, but eventually he nodded. "Eh, not like I can do anything now."

Levi carried three monsters with the help of a stretcher, and Ludo opened a portal. Levi then put down the minions on the other dimension. Buff Frog and Ludo did the same.

"Say, what's your name?" Ludo asked.

"Oh, I'm Levi Yoren. My friend who helped me is Jackie Lynn Thomas." He said.

"Yoren? I didn't expect you to be in this dimension. And Butterfly?"

"What, Ludo?"

"I WILL GET THAT WAND ONE DAY!" And with that, the portal closes, leaving them, along with a messy dojo.

"Well, that's that." Levi said.

"I think we still have one more thing." Jackie told him. She pointed at the unconscious arm.

"Oh, right."

"About that, Levi, what's the spell?" Star asked. Levi told her the words.

"Okay, then. Wow, I have to admit, that's a nice spell."

The dojo sensei then unwrapped the chains around the arm, and it fell flat.

"Alright, then. Restorio Limbus Normalitus!" A blast of magic struck the arm, and it began to shrink, along with the appendages returning to the main arm.

It woke up, and snarled, before saying, "You'll never get rid of me! I'm part of you now!" Then, its voice began to face and become high-pitched. "You may be able to cure the symptoms but you'll never cure the virus..." It then turned back into Marco's normal arm. Marco groaned.

"Are you okay, Marco?" Star asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but my arm..." He then looked at it. He gasped, and then stood up, holding his arm.

"My arm! My arm is back to normal!"

"Best of all, it's not broken!"

"Really?! Sweet!"

The dojo sensei looked around, and sighed.

"This was a good day for strip mall dojos, but I have a lot of cleaning up to do." He said.

Ferguson, Alfonzo, and the now conscious Jeremy appeared.

"Wait, we could clean it up. We never really got to see Marco finish his test, so when we're done, can he re-take the test again?" Ferguson, of all people, reasoned.

"What?! Come on! That's unfair!" Jeremy said, and then an object fell out of his sleeves. The dojo sensei picked it up, and narrowed his eyes at it.

"Brass knuckles? Seriously?!" He asked, angered.

"Pffft, _brass_? They're gold."

The dojo sensei crossly looked at Jeremy.

"After Marco's test, you will be demoted to white belt, Jeremy. And you will be fighting Marco."

Jeremy's jaw dropped. Marco smirked.

They then got to cleaning.

"I'm sorry, about earlier, Star. I should've listened to you." Marco said.

Star smiled. "I know."

"Hey, when monster arm said he'd be back, that's nothing to worry about, right?"

"Ummmm... probably not?"

Marco looked at his arm in horror.

"Don't worry, Marco. When it comes back, we'll be there to stop it." Levi reassuringly said.

Marco looked at him and Star, and slowly, cracked a smile. "Yeah, you're right. When you guys are here, there's virtually nothing that can beat us." They then continued cleaning up.

After the clean-up finished, Star, Levi, Jackie, Ferguson, and Alfonzo sat down on the seats

The dojo sensei looked at Marco, and asked, "Ready?" Marco nodded. He asked Jeremy the same question. He nodded, but inside he felt really nervous, as he never really had paid attention to the lessons, instead relying on the special equipment.

"Fight!"

What followed was the most one-sided fight in the strip mall dojo's history, with Marco easily winning against Jeremy, leaving him in a crying mess on the floor. Though he tried to shake hands with him, Jeremy angrily shoved him off, leaving in an angry, crying fit.

"I got it! YES!" Marco cheered as they exited the dojo. He was back in his red hoodie and black pants, and was accompanied by Star, Ferguson, Alfonzo, Levi, and Jackie.

"You did, Marco, you did." Star said.

"C'mon, let's go to my place. I'm making nachos to celebrate!"

"YEAH!"

As they walked away, a faded voice is heard, unnoticed by them. "It won't be much time now before it happens... I will be waiting..."

* * *

 **AN: Yup. I put in Ludo because I did not give him a true introduction, and also, they haven't even met Levi and Jackie, much less even know Marco's name. Sure Lynx will be the regular and main villain for this series, but I felt that Ludo has to be at least a main bad guy for some of the original episodes.**

 **So anyway, what'd you think of this episode? Please tell me in the reviews, and I'll see you all soon.**


	7. Year 1 - Quest Buy

**AN: This one's a tad shorter than my previous two, and really, it's considerably short compared to the previous two. Kinda took me a while, I know. And hey, as of this chapter, this story's now reached a thousand views! I'm really happy about it. Anyways, as usual, leave a review, fave, or follow if you like my story so far. Thanks, and now, here's the chapter!**

 **Quest Buy  
Premise: In the midst of a small problem, Levi, along with Jackie, head to Quest Buy to get some stuff. They meet Lynx, again, and as usual, they fight, albeit briefly.**

 _ **Disclaimer: No amount of money will be enough for me to own the rights to Star vs. The Forces of Evil.**_

* * *

In the Thomas household, Levi frantically looks around in the entire interior of the house, searching for a certain object.

"Damn it... come on! Where the hell did I put that?!" He said, shaking, unable to find his.

"Hey, Levi. What's up?" Someone spoke out, to which Levi knew the voice belonged to Jackie Lynn Thomas. Levi gulped and inwardly panicked.

 _'Oh shit! I can't let Jackie know about this, not yet!'_ He thought. _'Just play it cool, Yoren. Take a deep breath, calm down, and turn around.'_

He turned around, diminishing his frantic shaking, but it was still notable, at least to Jackie.

"Something wrong?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just looking for... a book! Yeah, a book for me to read. I got a bit bored, and I decided to look for a certain book. Yeah." He said, rather quickly... too quickly.

Jackie crossed her arms. "Oh, I see. So how's that 'search' of yours going, since you just flipped over so many things, pretty much the entire house, while doing so!" She said, angered.

"Huh?" Levi, for once since the beginning of his search, looks around. The entire interior was a mess. Objects were flipped, thrown around, some even destroyed. Realizing what he had done, he scratched his temple in embarrassment. "Oh... right. Hehe, sorry about that. I didn't notice. Honest!" He cautiously raised his hands, as Jackie slowly approached him. He audibly gulped.

"OWWW! HEY!... Okay, maybe I deserved that." He rubbed his bruised cheek, the spot where Jackie punched him.

"You damn right deserved it."

"Also, you pack a mean punch. I mean, I've taken a lot of hits over the years, but damn you are strong!" He also winced from the pain on his stomach.

"I'm a skateboarder, and I've also had to take lessons on self-defense too."

He chuckled. "Heh, you'll be a great fighter too."

Undeterred by his compliment, she spoke in anger, "Now tell me, how the hell are you gonna fix this!"

"Let me get something from my stuff." He slowly walked up to his room, wincing on each step. Jackie sat down on the flipped sofa and sighed.

"Well, at least he didn't trash my PS4. Seriously, that took me some time to save up to buy it!" She said to herself.

At Levi's room, he opened a drawer next to his bedside. He grinned when he saw the object. It was a small glowing yellow broom. "I better buy another one of these. These are one-time use items, but it helps a lot. Thank you Quest Buy!"

He walked back down, still wincing in pain. Jackie saw him and stood up, going over to him to help walk him over.

"Hey, sorry for punching you in the face and stomach." She said.

He waved it off, smiling at her. "No worries. I deserved it, you know, for, well, trashing almost the entire house."

"But still..." She then noticed the broom on his hand. "... what's that?" She asked him.

"Oh, this will clean up the mess. Its range is very wide, enough to cover up the entire house."

"And you're gonna do it with a broom?"

"This ain't just any broom, you know. It's a Magical Fixer Broom v2.0. Cleans up messes and restores the state of well, something similar to this, back to its former state of order. It's a one-time use though, so when I use it, it'll just disintegrate."

"Wow, gotta admit, that's rad. Where'd you get it?"

"Quest Buy."

"Quest Buy?"

"Oh, haven't mentioned it to you yet, haven't I? Anyways, Quest Buy is this separate dimension which is just one humongous building where you can buy your multiverse/dimension needs."

Jackie only looked at him in confusion. They stopped walking as they got to the middle of the living room.

"I'll take you there when I can. It's an amazing place."

He then pushed a button on the broom, and a wispy screen appeared above it.

"Ahh, good. Just need to find the picture where the house looked like before I well, trashed the house... got it!" He then used his fingers to widen the screen. It disappeared, and then a yellow glow wrapped the entire house. The two shielded their eyes. Once they felt the glow gone, they opened their eyes, and Jackie was amazed. She walked around the entire interior of the house, and saw that everything was back to where it was before. She came back to Levi.

"Very handy when you face a situation like this." He noted.

"That was amazing!"

"Yeah. Amazing... amazing..." He trailed off, thinking.

 _'Thinking about it, it has been a while since I bought stuff from Quest Buy. Well, I haven't been using most of them anyway, but then again, I'll need to buy the broom again. But I still need to look for it... ah heck it, I'm going to Quest Buy. Been a while since I made that.'_

He reached into his left pocket and took out his dimensional scissors.

"Looks like that time will be now." He said, mostly to himself, but enough for Jackie to hear.

"Hm? What are you talking about?" She asked. He turned to her, turned back, and cut open a portal.

"We're heading to Quest Buy." Those were the last words he said before he took her hand and leaped through the portal with her.

* * *

"Let's see here... Guide to Finding Your Inner Peace... trash... Guide to Fully Utilizing Your Chi... trash... Guide to Making Perfect Cookies... ooohhh goody! I haven't baked these in a long while." Lynx said, ecstatically taking said book.

"Hmmm, what else... hm?" He then saw a portal open, and Levi and Jackie got out.

"The two of them, here? Strange..." He said, and then walked away.

"Fair warning, next time, Levi." She said as she shook her head.

"Sorry, Jackie. I tend to do that sometimes." He apologized to her, causing her to smile.

"No biggie. Just give me a warning. So where are we?" She said.

He looked around, and he saw that they were now in Quest Buy.

"Ah, good. This is the right place. Jackie, this is Quest Buy." He said.

"Y'know, when you said this place is awesome, I expected it to be...well, awesome... but... it's a bit... mundane for my tastes." She said to him, looking around.

"At least we got sloths for employees! They aren't as slow as those in Zootopia, at least." He told her.

"Alright, so what are we looking for?"

"Aside from the broom, I'm looking for a special ice cream maker and a firecracker set. I got something in mind."

Jackie looked at him strangely, wondering if he is in his right mind when he said those two items.

She turned somewhere, facing an empty space (or is it?), and thought, _'I wonder why do I attract eccentric people as my friends. First there's Janna, then Hope, now Levi and Star. Not that I'm complaining. I like all of them. Especially...'_ Then she smiled, turned, and continued walking along Levi.

"Were you thinking about something?" He asked her, as he saw her approaching him as he walked.

She shook her head. "Kinda... spaced out. Don't worry."

He half-smiled. "Well... if that's what it is then, I won't ask further."

"Anyway, this place is so big. Don't people get lost in this place?"

"Actually, there are some cases of that. Even worse, when they try to decipher the map, they end up going insane!"

"Really?! Come on, how hard can that be?"

He questioningly looked at her, eyebrows raised. "You sure?"

"Sure as hell I'm sure!" She cheerily said.

"Alright then... let's head to the directory." And with that, they walked over until they arrived at said directory. Jackie looked at it while holding a pen and some paper (where in the heck did she get that?), while Levi doubtfully looked at her.

"Be warned, Jackie. It had befallen many a shopper. The dreaded directory has always made each one who tried to decipher it driven to insanity. I heard that it had claimed myths, legends, and even those who claim are the most sane in all of history! Not even the smartest of interdimensional species could decipher the insanity that is the Quest Buy Directory! No one, and I mean no one-"

"Done." She said as she turned to him. He continued to speak, though, until the word finally reached his ears.

"No one could ever hope to simply-wait... WHAT?!"

"As I said, it wasn't that hard to crack that."

"H-h-h-h-how?!"

"We humans are very creative, and when something like this blocks us, we simply find a way to solve it."

"That's... t-th-that's... impossible..."

"Nothing's impossible, Levi."

"Th-then... then TEACH ME!" His eyes turned into stars. Jackie smirked.

"Maaaaybe... but first, we gotta find that special ice cream maker and firecrackers, right?"

His eyes turned back into its normal hazel color. He straightned himself. "O-oh, right. I almost forgot. Well, lead the way, then, my map."

"Gotcha." She took out her skateboard and laid it on the ground, took his hand and both got on and skated away. Unbeknownst to the two who just left, Lynx got out of his hiding place.

"Well, that confirms my suspicion that they are here." He darkly grinned. "This means I can fight him again, and that girl too! But first..." He walked over to the cashier, and handed the book.

"That'll be 4.43 bucks." The cashier lazily said. Lynx smiled and paid the said amount.

"Alright, we should be getting to the 'Firecrackers and Other Explosives aisle." Jackie said.

"Alright! Time to get searching, then." Levi said. They both walked ahead in the huge aisle.

"Hey, Levi..."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"What kind of firecracker are we looking for, exactly?"

The young Plurixian hummed, and eventually spoke, "It's a special kind. It's both a firecracker, and it's also popping candy! I intend to add that to my special ice cream recipe to add that 'explosive' taste, and that popping too!"

The skateboarding girl's interest rose at that strange kind of firecracker. "Have you ever made that kind of ice cream before?" At that question, he nodded excitedly. "Yup! I once made this for my entire family. They all loved it! Sadly, it's been quite a while since I last made it. However, I intend to make it once again!"

"Well, you better make it good then, because you just made me wonder how good it will taste."

He gave her a smile and a thumbs-up. "Of course I will!"

They then looked at the shelves. There were various kinds of firecrackers, from ones that give a light explosion, to those that are borderline nuclear. However, try as they might, they couldn't find what they were looking for... until they jumped to the top shelf, where they saw it.

"There it is: Jake's Poppin' Candy Firecrackers. In various flavors too!"

"There's a whole shelf that's filled with these. Why couldn't they have just put them down?"

"Don't know, don't care! All that matters is I got the stuff now!" They jumped back down. But as they fell, they both saw someone, gazing at them with a smirk. They both saw him clasp his hands, and shoot upwards.

They both had one thought, _'Dodge!'_

Moments later, multiple blades shot up, and luckily for the two, they moved out of the way.

They landed on the ground, opposite of each other, as they faced the man who tried to hurt them.

"Lynx."

The man in question grinned as he turned to Jackie. "That's right. You both know what I want, especially you, Jackie. We've had more than enough encounters to know what I want."

"And we've had more than enough encounters to know that you will never know the source of his power!" She defiantly said to him.

He shrugged. "Alright. Fine by me. I'll still use force if I have to."

He then summoned an earth elemental. "Take care of the girl." He said, then turned and rushed at Levi.

Levi summoned dark metal gauntlets on his forearms, and raised his arms to block his bladed strike. He used his left leg to kick Lynx's chest and turned and used his right leg to kick the back of his head. Lynx had to duck, losing the clash in the process, to duck the kick. Levi quickly released his gauntlets, conjured two daggers, and attached them together, holding the handle in the middle. He went and slashed at Lynx, who blocked it with his blades. He then slashed at him repeatedly, and Lynx simply kept meeting each slash with slashes of his own. The daggers transform into a mace, and swung at him. Lynx's blades held the mace, and he used all his strength to throw away not only the mace, but Levi as well.

Levi landed on the ground with a loud thud as he crashed into one of the shelves. He shook his head, and saw Lynx leaping towards him. He gritted his teeth and jumped away from him.

 _'I have no time for this shit! I need to get that ice cream maker, and the broom too!'_ He thought, and looked at Jackie, who was holding her own against the elemental. _'She can take care of this. She can catch up. I'll have to get to the aisles on my own this time.'_ He then left the area.

Lynx looked at his retreating form. "That's the game you wanna play, eh? Fine, I'll play along." He said, and left as well.

Meanwhile, the elemental shot out rocks at Jackie. She dodged the rocks. She took out her skateboard and threw it at the elemental, hitting its head upside, literally, his head turned upside down. The elemental paused, and then used its hands to rotate it back right side up. It was then met with a kick to the face from Jackie. She then used her other foot to perform a backflip kick to its chin, knocking it down. The elemental simply rose up and extended its arm to hit Jackie. It struck her, and she felt the blows on her as she dropped down to the ground.

She huffed, and she punched the approaching elemental. All she received was pain on her hand, an unflinching elemental, and her own screams of pain. She held her hand, shook it to shrug off the pain, and jumped back. The elemental again shot out projectiles, this time sharp spines. Her eyes widened, and she used her skateboard to block. One almost reached her eyes. Sweat poured from her forehead.

She took the spine close to her eyes and threw it at the elemental's eye. It struck, but the elemental simply took it off, and threw it away. Jackie grunted.

"How am I supposed to destroy this thing?!" She said aloud. she looked around. She then slapped herself.

"Of course, we're in an explosives section. How the hell did I forget that?!" She said to herself. Quickly, she looked at the shelves, and saw a batch of sticky grenades. She took them, hastily removed all the pins, and threw it at the elemental. They all stuck on, and the elemental could not remove them. The grenades exploded, but not in the way Jackie expected. Instead, acid was released, and it splattered on the elemental, moaning in pain as it is eaten away.

She turned to the shelf where she took the batch. It read: 'Sticky Acid Grenades.'

She gained a look of knowing. "Oh, so that's why." She turned back to where the elemental was. All that was left of it was just the acid. It was then absorbed by the floor. She looked on in disgust. She then took out her deciphered map.

"If I'm Levi, then I'd be going to the dessert equipment section." She noted, and rode away on her skateboard.

Levi, meanwhile, conjured a pair of binoculars to search for the said aisle as he jumped from aisle to aisle. He eventually found it, but saw that he had to go through _fifty_ aisles, due to him jumping around, causing him to actually get farther and farther from the location until he actually found it. And as if things couldn't get worse...

"FOUND YOU!" He heard him say as he instinctively moved out of harm's way.

"Damn it! Can't you at least stop finding me for a few minutes?!" He said, as he kicked him away.

"Not until I know!" Lynx said as he rapidly approached him in the air.

 _'He's not letting up!'_ He thought, and transformed his binoculars into chakrams. He threw the circular blades towards him, but he deftly caught it, and threw it back to him, twice the speed and force. Levi knew that he couldn't use his hands to catch it, as it would simply be too much for him to do so, and that it would result in his hands cut. Instead, he let dark energy poured out of his body, and transformed it into new arms, catching the chakrams and stopping the force behind the throw that would otherwise injure him.

Lynx grunted, and simply summoned fired off more blades. Levi's dark hands simply caught each and every one of them, and threw it back. Lynx, seeing the blades rushing back towards him, dodged all he could, until one cut his cheek. Taking advantage, Levi clasped his hands together, and transformed into darkness. He quickly sped off to the aformentioned aisle. Lynx panted as he wiped off the blood on his cheek, and looked on at where Levi once was.

 _'So, it ends in failure once again. But this time... he was the one who retreated... maybe...'_ Lynx thought, and he took out the baking book from his pocket, which was miraculously still undamaged. _'I almost forgot why I even came here. I better let them know.'_ He looked at it, and then walked away, not noticing a certain princess and karate boy fighting a certain avian monster and his minions fighting amongst each other.

Once Levi arrived, he saw Jackie waiting for him. "Took you long enough." She said. Levi, slightly winded, kneeled down and told her, "Sorry. Got a bit sidetracked." He rose up, and walked ahead, telling her, "Let's go find that ice cream maker."

After a short while, having found the ice cream maker, they then walked to the cleaning equipment aisle, which was nearby.

"Glad we're almost done with this." Jackie said as she saw Levi take the last item, which was the magical broom.

"I know. I just hope we don't have to fight him again." He said. "Anyways, let's get this paid for."

They then headed for the cashier, and they saw Lynx looking at them impassively. They prepared themselves, but Lynx shook his head.

"I'm done fighting you two for now. Seeing you two again... it almost made me forget why I even went to Quest Buy. But anyways, I'm off to bake cookies. They are simply perfect!" He then used the dimensional scissors. He walked ahead towards the portal, before turning back to them, smirking at their strange looks.

"Heh. Even someone like me needs a hobby other than fighting you two." He turned away from them, and, humming a tone quite similar to a song they've heard, disappeared as he entered the portal, shortly closing afterwards. The two looked at each other confusingly.

"Is he... I mean..." Levi began.

"I don't even... maybe he's..."

They both shook their heads. They went to the cashier and paid the stuff they had with them.

They opened the portal back to Earth, before turning around, and they saw the destruction which was, fortunately, not caused by them... well, most of it wasn't caused by them anyway, except for the explosives.

"Who... did that? And how did we not notice?" Levi wondered.

"Maybe those two have the answer." Jackie said, pointing at Star and Marco being blown away before disappearing through the portal. They also saw Ludo and his monsters looking at one of the sloth employees fearfully. They both looked at each other.

"We better get outta here."

"Yeah, you're right, before we get in trouble for something we didn't even had a hand in."

Without a second too soon, they went through the portal, disappearing as they both got back to the house. They both sat down on the couch, tired from most of what happened at Quest Buy.

"Hey, Levi..." She called him.

"Yeah, Jackie?"

"What was it that you were looking for?"

He looked down. "I'm sorry, but this is something you can't know yet. I don't... feel... yet... that I..." He shook his head, and then looked back at her and smiled. "Anyway, let's make that ice cream! It isn't like we didn't go to Quest Buy for nothing!" He then laughed.

Jackie wondered what was it that Levi was hiding from her. She understood, though, that it's his secret, and only he will tell her that when he feels that he trusts her enough with it. She shook off her thoughts and laughed with him, his positive attitude getting to her.

After all, she had some curiosity to sate, and some good ice cream to eat, too.

* * *

 **AN: Was it too abrupt? Did it lack something? Was there anything too much of something? Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. Leave a review, fave, or alert if you guys like my story so far, and you can leave a PM too if needed. Until then, readers!**

 **P.S.: Also, publishing this chapter first instead of a new chapter for _Of Witches and Hunters_ meant that I have now diverted my full writing focus on this story. That, and maybe my one-shots. Depends on which goes first. I do have a few ideas in mind already.**


	8. Year 1 - Maturation

**AN: This episode's probably one of the ones I'm excited to do a rewrite on. Honestly, it's more of adding scenes focused on our main duo than doing a rewrite. This fic is focused on Jackie and Levi, after all. And yet another long one, but I loved writing it. This has some slight cursing, and some blood, as an extra note.**

 **Maturation:  
Premise: As Marco deals with Star undergoing Mewberty, Jackie has her own to deal with Levi, as he undergoes Plruxian Maturation. She goes to his parents for help, and they explain to her the process.**

 **And once more, _I do not own Star vs. the Forces of Evil._**

* * *

There were times in which Levi Yoren felt that the current day he was in would simply be as normal as it can be when he and Star Butterfly, his sister-like friend, are in the same dimension, like today. He sometimes felt that the day would not be as dull as one thinks. After all, when he and Star fight together, they are _very_ destructive. Today, however, would be a day neither individual would ever forget, along with their best friends, Jackie and Marco, for it was the day they both undergo the process, changing their lives forever, and not exactly in a good way... specifically, for Levi himself.

Tuesday. It was a typically normal school day in Echo Creek. At the high school building, classes were just finished, and most of the students are lounging around the campus. In the one of the classrooms, were the four of them. Star and Marco were sitting at the chairs near the window, as Star dreamily looked at the boy she had been enamored with recently, Oskar Greason, who was singing and playing his keytar rather terribly, when one hears it (but under no circumstances should anyone tell Star that, for she will unleash an unimaginable fury to anyone who does so), the magical girl sighing in bliss as she watches him, while Marco, the more organized and rather paranoid one (though not to an extreme extent), simply fixes up his stuff as he watches her. He worries about her sometimes, but he hides it very well, not wanting the girl to sense it.

On the other side of the classroom, on the same row as Star and Marco, were Levi and Jackie. Levi, who had recently taken up an interest in art temporarily, was drawing, replicating a picture of his favorite manga/anime he had found on the internet, one containing a picture of an epic confrontation between former best friends. He's also happy of the work he's doing so far, smiling at the drawing he's making. Jackie, meanwhile, had already fixed up her stuff, and was busy both reading a book, and looking at Levi and his drawing. Also recently, she had seen some of his work so far, and to say that she was impressed was an understatement. She admired his work, and she supported the hobby he currently has.

"When will it be done?" She asked him. His current work had taken up two days so far. His drawings usually take up two to four days, with at least an hour or two each. That's the time combined for both making the drawing, and coloring it. If he wanted it to be left black and white, it'd actually just take him at most two days to do so, however, it all depended on the scale of the drawings he makes. The hazel-eyed boy turned towards her, and he showed her his current progress. In estimation, she thought that at least three-quarters of the drawing are complete.

"Maybe tomorrow, or the day after that. I still need to color it, after all." He simply told her, and smiled. With that simple statement, he turned back to his work. Jackie smiled at him, seeing the focus he has on completing the drawing. She always saw that focus, and it brings her to smile each time. It was then that she looked around, and saw that she and the boy were the only ones left in the classroom. She also noticed a trail of purple hearts from Star's chair leading up to the outside. _'Purple hearts? That's strange...'_ She thought, and then turned back to Levi, and she then saw white markings on his body. This surprised her, and she thought that maybe it was another new power he has.

"Hey, Levi?" She called out to him. He turned to her as he placed down the pencil he was using to draw the illustration. He raised an eyebrow, and he asked her, "Yes, Jackie? What is it?"It was then that he turned around, and also saw that they were the only ones left, and also saw the trail of purple hearts.

"Oh, we're the only ones left. Is it time we take our leave then?" He asked her once more. The skateboarder shook her head, and then pointed at the markings on his arms and neck. "What are those? Those white markings seem pretty new to me. Is it something new?" She asked him.

"Huh? White markings..." He trailed off, and while he couldn't look at his neck, he looked at his arms. When he saw the said markings, which were all in curves and spirals, like tattoos, he looked at her in shock. She also noticed another expression that he was giving her; a look of... horror? He then began to hyperventilate, in which Jackie quickly went over to him, and calmed him down. She only heard him repeatedly muttering, "No... no, no, no, no, no, why now, why now, why now..." This worried her.

"What's wrong, Levi? Is something bothering you?" She asked him, and he quickly turned to look at her, gazing into her eyes, seeing into her eyes full of concern. He shook his head, but then he gripped onto her shoulders hard, but not too hard to hurt her.

"Jackie, I want you to do something for me. Please. No matter what, you do as I say, okay?" He asked her, voice cracking as his body shook. It was clear to both of them that Levi was afraid. But to Jackie, all she could think of is his state of fear, what is making him afraid, and also, her wanting to help him. Without hesitation, she nodded, feeling uncertain, but nonetheless unafraid of what he would ask of her.

"I want you to go leave me here, go home, and contact my parents. They'll know of a way." He told her. She then gave him a look of surprise, and slight confusion. She only asked to herself why, and she thought, _'Something's wrong with him. He wouldn't be like this at all. This Levi is... he feels something happening. Something bad...'_ She then asked him why, and he only told her to simply go. Of course, she refused, telling him that she would never abandon her best friend behind. Levi chuckled, muttering something about 'Janna' and 'best friends', but he shook his head, and he only told her to simply go and call his parents, the tone of his voice telling her that the decision is final. With fear in her heart, and uncertainty in her mind, she hugged him, and immediately took her stuff and left.

Now, Levi was all alone. It was then that he began to feel the pain inside him, as he dropped from the chair he was sitting, and he writhed and twitched on the floor, trying to bite off the screams of his pain. However, it won't be long before it will overwhelm him.

* * *

At the same time, when they got outside, Star had pushed Marco aside, telling him about the condition she has. He shrugs it off, telling her that it might simply be just like the condition humans have, only for Star to vigorously shake her head, telling the red-hoodie wearing boy that the Earth condition is not the same as the similarly named Mewberty she currently has, as she's from Mewni, and tells him that it will get really weird.

"Marco, you have to help me stay away from boys! But...wait a second..." Star said, turning to see Marco. The boy looked at her, confused, until the hearts appeared on her eyes. Marco was slightly creeped out by this. "...Marco's a boooooy..." She trailed off, the words spoken in a trance-like state upon the realization. It was then that Marco slightly backed away a little. He asked her, "Oooookay, so Star, when you said that it will get weird, is this weird going to be the typical-Star weird, or the destroy-the-school weird?"

"Destroy-the-school." The response she gave him was almost inaudible, but Marco could hear it nonetheless, as he detected the fear in her voice. He sighed, clearly expecting said answer, and grabbed the girl by the arm. However, make no mistake that he is not worried one bit. On the inside, his Safe Kid persona, and his own normal persona, were almost overwhelming each other, both with a shared, primary need to protect Star.

"That's what I was worried about. Now, we better get you home." He told her. He walks ahead as she nervously fidgets and slowly follows him, however she panics when she sees a boy at the school fountain.

 _'Oh no no no no no, there's a boy, there's a boy! You got this, Star. Just... avert your eyes. Avert your eyes...'_ She thought to herself, closing her eyes. It only became worse, though, as more hearts appear on her face. She stops following Marco, and approaches the fountain. She giddily pushes the button on the drinking fountain, and the boy drinking confusingly looked at her.

She paid no mind to him as she giggled, and in a sing-song whisper, she said to him that it was her turn. Marco saw her, grabbed her arm, and took her away from the fountain, to which purple webbing shot out of her hand, and they both screamed.

* * *

Jackie quickly got home and immediately went towards the mirror. She opened it, and said, "Mirror, mirror, call mom and dad." The mirror responded by ringing. A few seconds later, the mirror then revealed two figures, which were Victor and Corrina Anne, smiling at her.

"Ah, hello there, Jackie. Why have you called us?" Victor asked her. The two then noticed the worried and fearful expression on Jackie's face. This also causes them to worry a bit as well.

"I-i-i-it's... it's... Levi. I think something's wrong with him. It just happened after school." She told them. They then asked her to relay the events. She proceed to do just that. As she told them about it more, it began to unsettle them.

 _'Purple hearts? This seems to be a sign that Star's undergoing Mewberty.'_ Corrina Anne thought.

And then, she told them, "It was then that I saw white markings not only on his arms, but on his neck as well. It began to worry me a bit because I've only seen them today." At that, both mother and father were visibly alarmed.

"W-w-white markings?!" They both said in shock and horror. They suddenly regained composure, but Jackie then asked them, "Something bad will happen, isn't it?" They both nodded.

"So it has begun..." Corrina Anne sadly said. She then turned to Jackie.

"Jackie, what Levi is going through is our version of Earth puberty, which is Plurixian Maturation. And because he has the darkness energy and affinity..." Corrina Anne continued, and then both of their faces then darkened. "...he will be experiencing the worst version of it. I was expecting it to happen, but not so soon. It seems that the energy inside him is becoming too volatile and unstable this early." She finished.

"Um... Queen Corrina?" Jackie called out.

"Yes, dearie?" She asked her in a motherly tone. Jackie was somewhat surprised at that.

"Was this... was this a part of what you said, about having to take care of him?" She nervously asked her. Solemnly, she told her, "Yes. I already saw from you that you'll be a very close friend of him, even though you two just met that day. I knew that you two will watch over each other, take care of each other, and I knew that you can help him, and he can help you too. I trust you that much." There were a few tears falling from the queen's eyes, but she wiped them off quickly.

To say that Jackie was surprised by her words was an understatement. She was taken aback by how much the queen actually trusted her when she told her those words. "You... you trust me that much, Queen Corrina Anne? You trusted me, who was essentially a stranger that day, to take care and be with your own son? Why?"

"I simply know." She simply told the skateboarder.

"Anyways, it's time I tell you what Levi is undergoing in his Dark Maturation process."

* * *

Levi had been writhing and twitching in pain on the floor since Jackie left him. He felt the white markings clawing at him, gripping him like a vice. ' _Fucking hell, the pain!'_ The young Plurixian thought.

 _"The initial stage is just as you described it, Jackie. In every type of Plurixian, those who have energies, to be exact, they will develop these markings around their body, and it will depend on the affinity they have. Since my son's affinity is darkness, the markings are white." Corrina Anne told Jackie._

 _"So, wait, you said this was the initial stage. Exactly... how many stages are there?" Jackie almost fearfully asked._

 _"Five. The pain had already began on the first stage, but it wasn't as much. But the second stage now doubles it. As the white markings persist in attacking, the person begins to writhe and twitch in pain uncontrollably. It begins almost immediately after ten minutes."_

 _"What's the next stage?"_

 _"Eye color change. And even more pain, tripled from the last stage."_

He opened his eyes, and the eyes begin to switch colors. The scleras on his eyes begin to turn black, and his pupils and irises turn pure white. He screamed even more than before. It's a wonder that people haven't even heard the screams. His eyes bled from the color change as he now shed blood as tears from his eyes.

 _"Do the eyes bleed because of that?"_

 _"Unfortunately, yes. Also, once the eyes completely switch colors, he'll gain a special dark vision. He will see a completely dark view around him, but he will be able to see normally despite of it, and he will also detect energy signatures, signified by different colors. The first time he changes into them, though, which is this one, will be very painful."_

 _"Are you telling me that he'll be in more pain every time he transitions into a new stage?!" Jackie incredulously asked her, almost yelling. The queen only solemnly nodded._

 _'WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT AM I SEEING?! IT HURTS! IT FUCKING HURTS SO MUCH!'_ Levi thought as he felt his eyes bleed, and opened them, and saw nothing but a pitch-black view, with the exception of various yellow colors outside. He clutched his head in pain and covered his eyes. Then, he saw Star trapped in a locker, signified with a very bright purple color.

 _'Star? Is she... what's happening to her? Is it... is it that time for her as-'_ Levi could not process any more thoughts, as the pain once again returned full force. He tried to bite it off, but it was again too much, and he screamed once more. Darkness now begins to cover his body, as the pain increased again. He kept repeatedly cursing, the pain becoming too much even for a dark Plurixian like Levi.

 _"What is the fourth stage?"_

 _"The entire body turns black, covering it in darkness. The only ones that remain the way they are the white markings. And the pain is tripled now. It will almost come to a point that it will break the mind. But I know my son, and he can be able to take more than that. However, the final stage is the worst of all."_

 _Jackie almost looked so afraid for her best friend, that she could not muster the words. Corrina decided to speak once more. "In the final stage of the maturation process, the mind turns blank, not because of the pain, but because the darkness has taken over the person's mind. Then, the person undergoes a crazed state, causing chaos and destruction. Darkness energy also spreads around the area, covering anything and everything within its range in pure darkness."_

 _Jackie's shock reaches extreme levels. She now felt truly afraid for him. "Tell me, is there any way we can at least stop it?!" She asked her. Unfortunately, she shook her head, as she told her, "I'm afraid not. The best we can do is mitigate the damage that will be caused. The process stops once an hour has passed since the initial stage. From the initial to fourth stage, it will take at least thirty minutes. The final stage is what's remaining of that."_

 _"THEN GIVE ME SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP HIM! PLEASE!" She outright begged her._

 _"This will help." Victor, who had been silent the entire time, spoke to her. He opened a portal, and it appeared next to Jackie. His hand reached out, and he handed her a bracelet. She took it, and turned back to the mirror._

 _"What is this?" She asked him._

 _"It's a magical bracelet. You'll be able to fight him off with it."_

 _"Victor! Are you sure you want her to keep the bracelet?"_

 _"Just as how you trust her that much, I trust my son to her as well. I think she can do it." He smiled at her, and she smiled at him as well._

 _"Wow, this is cool!" The husband and wife duo turned to the girl, who now held a sword. They both smiled at her._

 _"Now go. It's time." They both said. Jackie smiled at them, and quickly left. The mirror then turned off._

As Jackie ran back to the school, she had thought in mind, _'I saw those markings at 2:57 in the afternoon. It's now 3:30. I hope I'm not too late!'_ With renewed determination, she ran faster, and arrived at the school in no time. What she saw however, unnerved her: There was a combination of purple webbing and darkness energy spread around. She saw some boys trapped in a webbing-like jail, and darkness energy were around those jails. She saw Marco, and turned to see what he was looking at. It was Star, holding a boy wearing glasses as she flew away. Jackie looked around, but she could not see Levi.

"Marco?" Jackie called out.

"Jackie?" He said back, turning towards her.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Star just... transformed. She became that because of her Mewberty stage. It'll stop at about 3:57, according to... never mind." He told her. This shocked her, and she then gripped his shoulders tightly. Marco blushed at the contact.

"Damn it! Levi's going through his own as well!" She said. This shocked him. "WHAT?! Damn it all! This isn't good! What do we do?!"

"I don't know. As far as we we know, we can't stop the process, as it's probably inevitable. However, the best we can do is minimize the damage to the school. But I can't do it alone! I'll need your help in this one. Can I count on you to help me?" She asked him. Marco realized what she was asking him, and he thought of it as a way to impress her. But he easily shook off those thoughts. As much as he liked Jackie, his first priority was to save his best friend. He nodded.

"Tell me what to do." He simply said to her. She nodded. "I can't be able to handle both of them at the same time. Find Star, and distract her! I'll fight off Levi until the process wears off. Now go!" She instructed. The safe kid nodded once more, and quickly ran off to find the Mewberty-stricken girl, leaving Jackie to find the Dark Maturing boy.

"Now, where is Levi?" She wondered. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. She felt a dark aura from behind, and she turned and saw him, levitating in the air, arms crossed. Just as Corrina Anne had said, he was covered entirely in darkness, while the white markings glowed brightly. A face mask covers the lower half of his face, covering his mouth. She then pressed the button on her bracelet, and two curved white swords appeared on her hands. Levi did the same, summoning two curved black swords.

"Let him go, or I'll force you to!" She said. The boy did not speak, still blankly looking at her. She gritted her teeth, and she leaped at him. "Fine! I'll fight you if I have to!" She said. Levi descended towards her, and their swords clashed. Then, she pushed him as hard as she could, trying to overpower him. He pushed back, and they both struggled to overpower each other, as the blades of their swords continue to clash, the friction creating much heat. However, it was evident that Jackie was winning the clash. Soon enough, Levi slipped up and let go of the swords, as they caught fire. The said fire then destroys the swords Jackie, in mid-air, fused the handles of the two swords together, and held the middle of it. She gazed at him, gritting her teeth, knowing that this was only the beginning. She landed on the ground, and saw that Levi did as well. Without hesitation, she charged at him once more, as Levi summoned new weapons and did the same.

 _'I'm sorry about this Levi... but I have to slow you down! For you and for my friends!'_

* * *

Marco continued to look for Star, slowing down to a walk, where he saw more boys trapped in the same webbing he had seen earlier. One such boy even took a hold of his arm and begged for him to get them out of there. He shook the hand away from him, and he continued walking on. He eventually found her, looking at the same boy she took from earlier. The boy is visibly scared and horrified by her, whimpering in fear.

"Star, come on. You gotta keep yourself together. You're scaring everyone! Look around you!" He said to her. She looks at him as she held the boy. She frowns and throws the boy into an open locker, and promptly shoots it with her webbing, covering it and trapping the boy in. The boy continued to whimper in fear, which caused her to shoot more webbing towards him, causing him to scream. At that, he had enough.

"Star, stop this right now!" He said to her, more boldly, grabbing one of her six arms. The trapped boy remarks that she's now more angry. She then shot at him with webbing, to which Marco grunts in slight pain. He lets go of the arm. Star begins to descend on him slowly.

"I know you're in there Star! You have to control it! Please, listen to me!" He said to her, hoping that his words could at least reach her mind, but ultimately it was to no avail. She slowly approached him, her hands reaching out to grab him as she grinned, but then she stopped, when she heard a certain tune. Oskar's tune.

Strangely, the keytar-playing kid had not noticed at all the events that were unfolding in the school. He was still sitting on his car. He still kept singing, playing his keytar, both rather terribly (again, do not ever mention this to Star. _Ever._ ) and he still did so uncaring about what was happening around him. It would seem that he was so engrossed with his music, that he tuned out all other noises, events, and whatnot, and was simply in his own little world, singing (mostly) about his mother, and what he doesn't like. It was then that Star turned to see him still there, as she said his name, tranced. She flies up at him, and she grins.

She descends down on him, ready to shoot her webbing once more, only to be stopped by Marco, who caught her with a tennis net. "I'm sorry Star, but I have to stop you, for everyone!" He said to her, as he still held onto the net, keeping her in place. Star flails around, trying to get free, and in the process, impacts a tree, causing her to get stuck in it, and causing several boys to fall out and run away. Marco sighs in relief. However, he still held onto Star, who was still trying to get herself free. She gets herself free, and she flies around, dragging Marco with her. And Oskar _still continued to sing._ Seriously, how does he not notice these things?

"You're only making it worse!" Glossaryk said to him. It was then that Marco looked down and saw Janna feeding him pudding. He also saw the rest of the boys trapped in the webbings. However, he did not see Jackie nor Levi.

"Wait a minute... where are they..." He wondered, but not for long.

Jackie crashed into him, causing both of them to fall from the sky. They landed safely, however. They both moaned in pain, from both the crash, and the impact from their fall.

Jackie and Levi had continued to fight as Marco had left them. However, Levi, in his empowered, yet mindless form, managed to overpower Jackie in the air, as he threw her towards Marco. There were some wounds evident from their short fight. She had bruises on her arms and shoulders, and some cuts on her arms and cheeks.

"Owwww... what happened, Jackie?" He asked her, dazed as he rose up.

Jackie, also dazed, rose up as well. "He's... he's too strong... even with the bracelet, I still couldn't keep him down!" She said, angered with her own weakness. They both looked up to see both the Mewnian and Plurixian staring down at each other. Levi then released a dark energy arm and took Oskar's car, and he flied up high in the sky. Star, seeing this, becomes enraged and flies up as well.

"LEVI/STAR!" Jackie and Marco yelled out. Marco got onto his knees, slumping down, as he thinks about Star's abrupt departure.

With tears in his eyes, he felt no choice but to accept what had happened. "Goodbye, Star." He said.

"NO!" His head rose at the declaration. He turned to see Jackie, tightly shutting her eyes, with tears also falling out of her eyes.

"I won't say goodbye! I can't lose him!" She said, as she remembered a similar situation that had happened.

Levi's nightmare, as she witnessed it from their shared dreamscape.

"It's just like... it was just like his nightmare. I thought that it was just that... a nightmare... but... it's real. Why... WHY WAS IT REAL?! IT CAN'T HAVE HAPPENED! IT CAN'T!" She all but shouted to the skies above. Marco looked at her in shock, as he saw how much his crush cared about her best friend.

"That's why... that's why... I CAN'T SAY GOODBYE! I CAN'T, AND I WON'T! Not like this! NOT LIKE THIS!" She continued to shout, but her voice cracked. She then cried. Marco could not do anything but to look at her in sadness, and look up to the sky, wondering what was happening...

* * *

Up above, Levi saw that Star was rapidly approaching him, and he dropped Oskar's car. Oskar still didn't notice the sudden change in gravity, but he stopped singing nonetheless. When Star eventually reached Levi's level, she only saw him there, with no signs of Oskar. She grew enraged, and shot out the purple webbing at him. Levi armed himself with daggers, and sliced through the web projectiles. He then threw said daggers, to which Star simply dodged them. Star shot more webs, and Levi dodged them instead, leaving him open to Star's charge.

Her arms held his arms and legs, leaving only two free hands to shoot the webbings at him. Levi summoned two dark energy arms and held two said arms. He summoned one more to punch her in the gut, and she gasped at the jab, releasing his limbs. Star shook it off, quickly, however, and charged at him again, this time, aiming to kick him. Levi dissipated the energy arms, and quickly deflected her kick with his own.

Even though her extra arms proved to be a disadvantage, Levi still held his own against her. Star then opted to attack all at once with her six arms, but Levi caught her, giving him an opening to strike back.

He kicks Star's side, causing her to get thrown away by the impact of the kick. Levi quickly caught up to her, and strikes her again, this time on her stomach. Then he performs a backflip kick, hitting her head, causing her to recoil back, and moan in pain. He summoned a dagger, and prepared to stab Star with it.

This was it. This exact situation was just like the event in his nightmare. He was now ready to kill her, even though this Levi is not the same Levi. He descends down on her, dagger ready to strike...

At the same time, however, Star had been simpely playing possum, and was ready to shoot him again wih the webbing. At first intending to get Oskar, she now instead targets Levi. She just needs to wait the right time to strike...

*BEEP!* *BEEP!* From down in the school grounds, Glossaryk's watch had now read 3:57:00 P.M., and the process now begins to unravel.

Levi immediately stopped his action, looking at Star in shock. He let the dagger he was holding to be dissipated. Star looked at him the same way, her arms dropping to their sides.

The darkness that covered his body was gone, along with the markings, but a light white marking on his right arm remained. His eyes returned to their normal, hazel-irised state. And his clothes returned to their normal state as well. His face mask disappeared too.

Star, meanwhile, had shed purple hearts from her body, the six arms gradually returned to two, and her large wings shrunk until a pair of small ones were left. The glowing eyes turned back to normal, and her skin returned to her light complexion.

Any wounds the two had from earlier had disappeared.

"Star..." He said.

"Levi..." She said.

They both then fell, closing their eyes, as they temporarily fell unconscious from the exhaustion their bodies took from their stages.

Back to the school grounds, Jackie had recovered, and both Marco and her looked up in the sky. A purple heart lands on Marco's nose. More purple hearts rain from the sky. And black powder also rained from above.

"What the..." They both said. All of a sudden, Oskar's car crashed right next to them. They both shrieked in terror. It was then followed by Oskar landing on it, with the keytar landing on his lap. And he still looked unfazed by what had happened to him.

Star crashed, luckily, on what was left of her cocoon. Marco quickly ran towards her. Levi, however, wasn't so lucky...

He crashed to the floor. The impact significally created a small crater, with him in the middle of it. Jackie saw this, and quickly ran over to him, but then saw someone kneeling on his body. He placed his palm over Levi, and a blue glow appeared. A few seconds later, it was gone. The figure stood up, noticing the girl. He smiled at her.

"There. That should heal him up nicely."

"Who... who are you?" She asked him.

The figure was at least a foot taller than Jackie. He wore navy blue pants, a black shirt, and a black overcoat. He also had black gloves. His eyes had red irises. He also had blue sneakers.

He continued to smile at her.

"I'm just someone passing by in other dimensions. I saw your friend in real danger when I saw the impact that fall had, so when I got to him, I healed him up. But, don't mention this to anyone, not even him, okay?" He asked her.

Unsure what to do, but also unsure of what he will do if she doesn't agree, she simply nodded. The figure then walked past her.

"I'm sure we'll meet again." He lastly said, before disappearing in a portal. She then saw Levi waking up.

"Owwwwww, I guess that fall really hurt. But, who the hell healed me..." He said. He was then unexpectedly tackled by Jackie, who hugged him tightly.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" She sternly said to him. His eyes widened, but he returned the hug regardless, snaking his arms around her, holding her close. They eventually both pulled away and stood up.

Levi winced in pain, still feeling both the exhaustion and the impact of his fall. "Take it easy on the hugs, though, Jackie. Still kinda feeling the effects." He said to her, causing her to apologize for it, but he waved it off, telling her to simply keep it easy on him.

"Your mom told me about what was it that you're going through. I really tried my best to slow you down." She said.

"I'm glad that you did just that. Who knows what would've happened if you were too late. For that, I'm grateful." He said to her. She beamed at him.

"Awwww, that's what friends are for, after all!" She said, and then unexpectedly kissed him on the cheek. He froze at the sudden action, and blushed a deep crimson.

 _'She... she kissed me... that's... unexpected... but...'_ He only thought. He only saw her smile at him. He decided to ignore his current thought for now and smile at her instead.

"So, did you get at least anything from the thing you underwent?" She asked him. His train of thought returned to normal as he nodded.

"I think so, let me check." He said. He closed his eyes, and opened them. He then saw what he had seen mostly throughout the maturation stage. His eyes changed once more, with the whites turning black, and the pupils and irises turning white, but unlike before, he didn't feel any pain at all, and most of all, no blood was shed, which Jackie noticed, surprising her. He noticed that Jackie had a white energy signature, with a shade of green. He then turned around, and saw the energy signatures of Star and Marco. Star's was a bright blue energy signature, while Marco's was a red energy signature. He closed his eyes again, and opened them, returning his vision to normal, and his eyes returned to there white-and-hazel eyes.

He also looked at the two, Jackie looking on as well. It would seem that Star had gained wings, though a smaller version of it, but as the duo tried to fly, it did not work. The young dark Plurixian chuckled at the sight, and then turned back to his best friend.

"It seems I got the special dark vision. Not sure what else I got, though. But that's for a later time." He said to her. However, he looked at his right arm. He noticed the white marking that remained from his short time undergoing the maturation stage. Could this have been a reminder that he has now underwent the dark maturation stage? Or was this a sign for something else? Either way, he decided to think about that for another time. He then looked back at his best friend.

"Well at least you're back with us. I don't know what would've happened if we lost you and Star, especially if I lost you." She said to him, hugging him once more. And just like before, he froze and blushed, and slightly winced, but he returned the hug. He noticed that her embrace was a bit tighter than her normal hugs, but he knew. Unlike what happened in his nightmare, he successfully didn't seriously harm Star, and he hadn't broken his promise to her. And she was still afraid for him. But he would never harm Star, nor he would leave his best friend.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lose you as well. And remember, I promised you that I won't leave you. And I won't. Not now, not ever." He said to her. They held each other close, and leaned at each other, simply feeling and enjoying the closeness they had towards each other.

They both had one thought in their minds:

 _'I'll always be there for you, no matter what.'_

* * *

 **AN: So yeah, the two now underwent their stages. Usually, Plurixian Maturation occurs at least between mid-age 15 and 17. For Levi, however, it seems that the energies inside him were too much to take for his body, so it pretty much forced him to undergo the maturation stage. I have a lot more in store for him. And Jackie pretty much saw again what happened in Levi's nightmare. It was like as if there was something about those nightmares that seemed off...**

 **We also now see another figure who helped Levi. Who could he be, and why did he help him? You'll see soon enough.**

 **I'm not sure how long will it be before the next one's out. Like I said, my updates are irregular and sketchy. I hope you all enjoyed reading this one. Tell me what you thought about it on the reviews, or you can also leave a PM for any questions. I'll gladly answer them in the best way I could. Until then, readers.**


	9. Year 1 - A Plurixian Visitation

**AN: This is, without a doubt, my longest one yet! I didn't even expect myself to write it this long! I only continued on writing until I reached the end of the story for this one. However, this one did take too long for me to write. I was debating with myself on whether which one would be released first: this one or the maturation episode, and you all know what happened. Part of the reason was that I wrote this in spurts, and also because school's now back here. But I'm done now, and I'm satisfied with what I have done. Later at the end of this, I'll be giving out my expectations for season 2, and also how I felt to the small promo for it.**

 **A Plurixian Visitation  
Premise: Ten days since the maturation incident, Levi heads back home to Plurix to have himself checked out and takes Jackie and Janna with him. **

* * *

"Mirror, mirror, call... mom and dad." Levi said.

Tuesday night. It had been a few hours since the 'Maturation' incident. Specifically, it was 9:30 in the evening. He, along with Jackie, Janna, Star, and Marco, helped out in cleaning up the school. He was now at home, and he was in his room, while Jackie was in hers, sleeping. He had pondered about what had happened earlier, from the pain, to his mind going blank, to his transformation, and, thankfully, the aversion of the events of his nightmare. While it had indeed came true, somewhat, he was grateful that the one event that happened in his nightmare was averted: his fatal blow to Star, and while it wasn't really confirmed, he thought that he had killed her there. He sighed.

"Calling mom and dad." The mirror said. Seconds later, the mirror's worded image turned into the forms of the King and Queen of Plurix, Victor and Corrina Anne.

"Hey mom, dad." He said to them. They gasped, but they immediately recovered and greeted him back with happiness. His parents were simply overjoyed. They were happy that they saw him safe and sound. Levi also saw someone else appear on the mirror screen.

"Big bro Levi!" A young female said to him. He smiled at her. The girl in question is ten years old, has light gray eyes, short (albeit growing) red hair and wears a light blue dress, with white shoes.

"Hi Yelena. Shouldn't it be your bedtime by now, cute little sister?" He asked her. It was then that he realized one mistake he made previously: on the day of his first horrendous nightmare, when he said that his family only composed of him and his parents, he either forgot to tell Jackie about her, or he unknowingly didn't bother to tell her. Either way, it hurt him that he didn't tell her, and he was pretty good not showing any signs of his small emotional turmoil to his family. However, he plans on having her meet his sister soon enough. He knows that they'll get along pretty well.

The younger Plurixian girl shook her head, beaming at him. "It actually was, but when I saw you at the magic mirror, I wanted to see you again big bro!" She energetically said. He lightly laughed. He couldn't blame her; it had been almost three months since Levi got here on Earth. "You missed me, didn't you?" He asked her.

"Of course I did! It kinda gets boring here without you, you know, but at least I have my friends with me here! Have you made friends there at Earth yet, big bro?" She said. He nodded.

"Sure have. I'll make sure you meet my best friend soon. She's an awesome best friend to have, and I'm glad I have her as that. She's helped me here, and I'm grateful for it." He said, smiling brightly at that. Yelena then mischievously grinned.

"Ooooohhhh, it looks like my big brother has big a crush on her!" She said teasingly in a sing-song tone. He then blushed a bright shade of red at that.

"I do not have a crush on her! She's just my best friend!" He said, waving his hands up in denial.

"Looks like someone's in denial about his feelings! You liiiiike her, don't you!" She teased him again. She loved teasing and making fun of her older brother, as she always loved the face he makes when he gets embarrassed. He dropped his head down in embarrassment, as he said, "Yelena... cut it out..." Their parents then laughed. They then decided to save Levi any more embarrassment courtesy of their daughter.

"It is getting late now, Yelena. It's time for your bedtime now." Corrina Anne said.

"Awwww, really? Oh well." She frowned, but smiled once more, and then yawned. "I'll be off now, big bro! Goodnight!" She said, as she and their mother then left. He said the same to her, as she went back to her room. Both father and son smiled at the young girl with her mother.

Turning back to each other, Levi then asked his father, "So dad... I saw the bracelet that Jackie had earlier. That wouldn't happen to be the White Light Bracelet, right?"

Victor nodded. "Indeed, son. When Jackie told us about your maturation stage already occuring, we both decided that it was best that I... no, we, bestow to her the bracelet. It had not been used for quite some time, remember?"

"Yeah, I know that, but, isn't that supposed to be for Yelena?"

It was at this point that Corrina Anne returned, and promptly heard the question, and she decided to answer this time. "It was, but we both found that it was simply incompatible for her. Her affinity is of Wind, and it doesn't exactly suit well with the Light-affinity equipment, but we tried. We had so many tests, but it simply didn't work."

"But, Jackie isn't like us. She's human, not Plurixian. So how come it worked for her?"

"Despite our own incompatibilities with other affinities, it seems that these kinds of items can work for humans, as they do not have either magic or our energies in their bodies. Regardless of the affinity, they can simply work, because of the fact that humans can mesh together with any of the affinities in the items we have forged. We checked it and did research before we had you transferred, actually, ever since we decided that you will stay on Earth. For that, we already had made items for Yelena when we learned of her Wind affinity. But as I said before, we had done the tests first before we created the Wind-affinity items." Both king and queen explained, alternating sentence by sentence.

"I see. So you'll have Jackie keep it then? For real?"

"We have. Tell her to think of it as a gift. From us."

"Well, I guess so, then. I really owe it to her for just helping me out here adjusting to living here on Earth."

Both parents smiled, happy that their son had made a bond with someone.

"Son, we also want you to have you checked here, in case of any anomalies that might occur inside your system. The maturation stage may leave some very severe cases, and we just want to be sure."

Levi shrugged. "I'm cool with it. When do you want me to go there?"

"Most definitely on the weekend, but not this weekend. Maybe the next weekend. We'll see you then."

"Right. Is that all?"

"Nothing else right now. We'll be retiring to our quarters now."

"Alright, mom and dad. Goodnight! Love you!"

"Goodnight, Levi. We love you too." And with that, both sides hung up the call.

Levi briefly stared at the mirror before heading over to the bed, and lied down. Right now, he was thinking about his return to his home dimension, but he pushed that thought aside for now, as he thought about something else, or rather, a certain someone.

Jackie Lynn Thomas.

What started out as a help from a fellow student at Echo Creek High School turned into a blossoming friendship had him thinking about his feelings for her. Three months he had now been here on Earth. He remembered some of the recent adventures they had, from the time they went time traveling, to the event of his nightmares, to their short time at Quest Buy, and eventually, the earlier incident of his maturation. He smiled at those memories, albeit cringing at the memory of their nightmares. She had helped him in one way or another on those times. But one thing he could not get past to, was that one kiss on the cheek.

 _'Come on, it's just a peck on the cheek! It isn't like she likes me already. She's my best friend! Besides, it's only been three months. She was just concerned for me, like any friend would be. I'm pretty sure she doesn't like me like that. And I know that I don't like her like that either. We're best friends. We're not supposed to like each other! Yeah, we can't ever like each other. Isn't that the unwritten rule of being best friends with a girl, and the opposite too? Eh, all I know is that that kiss-peck on the cheek was just a spur of the moment, I'm sure! Eventually I might grow to like her and then- NO! What the hell are you thinking?! You are not supposed to think like that! Again, she's my best friend for God's sake! I can't!'_

With that, he firmly pushes away his thoughts of the earlier event, and returned his thoughts to going back to Plurix. He missed them as well. While he loved being here on Earth, he missed being with his loved ones. It's his family, after all. Especially since that day... when they got closer because of it, and they all kept on loving and caring each other more.

He smiled. He turned and looked at the digital clock on his shelf. Ten in the evening. He then turned to the door. He began to think of Jackie once more, somehow not being able to get his thoughts of her out of his mind.

 _'Should I... I mean, at least... check on her... if she's okay?'_ He thought, but he suddenly slapped himself, berating himself for making such a stupid and illogical excuse to see her.

And yet, he could not stop himself from doing so anyway. He stood up, walked out of the door of his room, and went over to her room. It was closed. He was about to turn the doorknob, open the door, and walk in, when he suddenly crashed and stumbled onto the ground, with his back on the floor. He opened his eyes, and he found himself staring into Jackie's deep sea-green eyes as she stared into his hazel eyes. She was on top of him, her hands on his shoulders, and his hands on her waist. They stayed like that for a good twenty seconds, and that is quite some time, when it comes to moments like these. Their thoughts were on a deep spinning spiral, from the look of their eyes, to how it all happened, to each other and various other thoughts.

Once they realized the position they're in, they both widened their eyes, they both blushed a very deep shade of red, they both gasped, and they both shrieked, "Nyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! Jackie/Levi!" and the two quickly removed themselves of their awkward position. They both stood up, still looking into each other, still blushing, and both quickly turned away from each other, really embarrassed. They didn't speak to each other for what they felt seemed to be an eternity, when in fact it was only ten seconds.

When they did speak, it was Jackie who first spoke, "Why are you still up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He retorted, but in an gentle manner. He did not want to make her angry, nor did he want her to think that he was angry.

"Well, I was just about to go downstairs to get a glass of water. Now why are you still up?" She answered, and she quickly asked him back.

"Well... I... was just gonna go to the bathroom." He said, slightly hesitant. He could feel Jackie crossing her arms, as if she didn't believe him.

"Really, now? Because I swear you were heading towards my room. Why were you going to my room?"

Levi audibly sighed, and he turned around, facing Jackie, who still had her back turned away from him. He said, "Alright. I'll tell the truth. I was going to your room because... well because..." he trailed off, unable to speak.

"Because what?" She then turned back towards him.

"I was going to check on you." He said, albeit in a volume that she couldn't hear.

"What?"

"I said I went to your room because I was going to check on you." He said again, in a more normal volume of his voice. Jackie then walked closer to him. He then walked over to the staircase and sat down on one of the steps. Jackie did the same, sitting next to him. She placed her right hand over his left, and they both looked at each other once more, this time of compassion.

"There's no reason for you to do that. I could handle things on my own, you know? I didn't do self-defense lessons because I wanted to impress my friends." She told him.

Levi sighed again. "I know. But still, I couldn't help but be concerned for you sometimes, Kie. Especially when we fight Lynx. There's this... growing concern, like I'm risking you everytime. I know Lynx is an honorable person, but what if he goes too far? I... I don't want you to get hurt because I dragged you into this... Kie." There's his nickname for her again. He hasn't used it since they first met, but now he has. Jackie couldn't help but feel her heart slightly flutter at the nickname for her. She slightly blushed, but this went unnoticed by Levi. She secretly hoped that he would call her that more frequently, and she has also been thinking of a nickname for him as well.

"Well, I guess that since you're concerned for me, I should be concerned for you too, Levi. Especially earlier. I really thought I lost you." She said to him.

"It'll take more than that to take me down."

"Of course it wouldn't." She jokingly deadpanned.

"Hey, you know me! I could take a lot of hits and I still wouldn't get knocked out!" He laughed at that and smiled.

"I know." She also laughed and smiled too. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He leaned his on top of her head.

"I called my parents just a bit earlier. I talked to them about what happened. I also noticed the bracelet you had when you fought me earlier." He said, after a short take of silence across the interior of the house.

"So you did, eh? How'd you remember; when it wasn't you who fought me, since you're mindless and all. And what did they say about it?"

"Well, some time after, I had slowly regained the memories of my maturation stage in intervals, say, per fifteen minutes or so. Starting of course with the pain from my body, even though I had already felt it, I was still forced to remember. The eyes thing, I had already remembered immediately after, since I got them already. After that, was the change in my body. Then, I remembered fighting you, and then Star." His tone grew more somber as he spoke.

He grew silent, but spoke again before Jackie could respond. This time, the tone even more somber than it was.

"It hurts. It hurts a lot, you know? The fact that this was the first time I couldn't be in control of my powers... the fact that I'm remembering all of this, the pain, the mindlessness, the fighting... the fact that I'm inadverdently hurting Star, and you... the fact that I saw it all, and that I couldn't do anything to prevent it..." Before he continued speaking, Jackie cut him off.

"Hey, it's not your fault. Like what I've known for a long time, nature just flows. It can't be stopped. It couldn't be controlled. Doing so will delay the inevitable, and possibly worse. But I could never blame you for what you did. As I said, it wasn't you who fought me, it was just your body doing all the fighting, but not your mind."

"But that's the thing, what if I did because I couldn't control my own powers?"

"Then we'll stop you. Your our friend. Marco knows it, Star knows it, Janna knows it, heck, even Brittney knows it, and it's because you changed her for the better. I know it too. No matter what, you're still our friend, and through the fire and flames, as cheesy and cliché as that sounds, we'll still be there for you, even if we have to stop you." She spoke with reassurance and conviction.

The words comforted Levi. It caused him to grow a small smile. His eyes turned down towards her, and she looked back at him.

"You really would..."

"I would."

"Thanks, Jackie."

Jackie simply didn't speak, as she wrapped her arms around him. It was enough of a gesture for him to return it, as he did the same.

"On that last question, they told me that you can keep it. They said that it was a... um... 'gift', if I could call it that, though I'd rather not, but it is... according to mom and dad..." He sighed, before speaking again, "... nonetheless, generally speaking, it's yours now. I couldn't care any less if it was a gift or not. I'm just glad you now have it."

"Was it, was it because, you know..." She asked, but Levi's response was a shake of his head, and a small smile.

"No. It was a genuinely generously kind gesture from my parents. They really care about you as well, you know."

"They do... I'm... I'm glad."

After that, neither one spoke again, just taking in the company they have of each other.

"Hey... do you still want that glass of water? I'll get it for you if you want." He offered, after a few minutes of silence.

"Sure, since you asked." She said. They pulled away, and he walked downstairs to do so. He also chuckled.

"Anything for my best friend, after all."

* * *

The next ten days were rather tedious, but they still went off nicely for everyone, especially the students. The school was somewhat still in shambles, despite the efforts from that day, so they had to do the classes outside the campus grounds. Most of the time (to be exact, 60% of the time) was also used in repairing the school as well. While there were complaints about it, overall the students were rather happy that they had less lessons to study over the course of the first seven days. After that, it was back to the regular schedule.

Which now brings us to the Saturday after that succeeding week.

It was about seven in the morning. The two were already up.

"Is there anything that we can do today?" Jackie asked during breakfast.

"Well, we could go see Star and Marco." Levi answered. Jackie thought about it for a few minutes. She then gave her answer.

"I think that's a good idea. Should we go after we finish eating?"

"Of course not."

"What? Why?"

"We both might want to look at ourselves."

Jackie did so, and she understood what Levi meant, and she had a faint pink tinge on her cheeks in slight embarrassment. They were both still in their sleepwear.

"I see what you mean."

"That's okay. I'd want to visit them too, but we have to look our best, as they say."

"Well, let's get-" Jackie was interrupted as they heard a few knocks on the front door.

"You go on ahead, Jackie. I'll get the door." He said to her. She nodded and went upstairs while he went towards the door and opened it. There, he saw Janna, dressed in her everyday clothing.

"Oh, hi there Janna." He said. Janna smiled.

"Hey Levi. Where's Jackie?"

"She's upstairs, fixing herself. We're planning to go to Star and Marco's. Wanna come with us?"

Janna shrugged. "Sure, why not. Came here to just visit the both of you, really."

Levi smiled. "Come in. Just give us time to get ourselves done." He said and then led Janna in. She sat on one of the chairs as Levi walked upstairs.

"Take your time, you two. I can wait." She said, grinning. He heard it, and lightly blushed. He quickly shook it away and went towards his room. He took what he needed and waited.

Not long after, Jackie called out, "I'm done!"

He then walked out of his room. He sees her walking towards her room, wrapped in a towel. He then blushes again and looks away, hoping she won't notice. She didn't, luckily, and once he got past her room, he told her from outside, "Janna's downstairs. She wants to come with us."

"Got it!" She said.

With that, he walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Ready to go?" Levi asked, looking at the two teenage girls. Both he and Jackie were now dressed in their normal clothing.

"Sure am." Jackie said.

"I was the one waiting for both of you. You know the answer." Janna said.

"Then let's get going." He said. The trio walked out of the house, with Jackie closing the door. They then head on to the Diaz's house. Not long until they got there. The door was slightly ajar, confusing the three.

"That's weird." Janna noted, as they entered the house.

"What is? That they left the door open, or the fact that everyone's gone?" Levi asked rhetorically as they split up. They all checked the house for any sign of them, but to no avail. They all came back to the living room.

"Anything?" He asked. Both girls shook their heads. Levi sighed. He wondered where they went. After all, it isn't like them to all just leave, on a normal day like today. However, he spotted something on top of a stack of books on the coffee table. He picked it up.

It was a folded note. He unfolded it and read the said note. Written on it:

 _To anyone of concern,  
We're not here for the day. We'rea at Mewni celebrating Marco's mom and dad's anniversary. We might be back tomorrow, or late at night. If anyone's looking for us, you'll just have to come back tomorrow. Thanks!_

 _Star Butterfly :)_

He smiled at the note, thinking how Star-like it was for her to sometimes leave notes. She'd do it sometimes when he and his family visit them, and sometimes she'd write them for the heck of it, using the scissors to throw them into his room, and they'd send each other notes after that.

"I think I know where they are." He said to them, and handed them the note. They both read it, and they looked back to him, with Jackie handing the note back to him. He placed the note back to where it was.

"Where now? What do we do?" Janna asked.

"Don't worry. I got an idea. But first, let me do something here." He said. He then took out a pen, took a piece of paper from the table, and began to write.

 _Star,  
Hey, it's me, Levi. Saw your note, and I gotta say, it reminded me of old times when we did this. Anyway, Jackie, Janna and I went to see you guys, but you weren't here. We all read the note, and we understood. I got a little something for you. The glasses should help in translating your spellbook. Valoran knows how unhelpful Glossaryk can be sometimes. It's a gift. Keep it._

 _From your close friend,  
Levi _

He folded the note, placed it over Star's, and placed the translator glasses on top. He turned back to the two, and grinned.

"I'm heading to Plurix. You guys wanna go with me?"

To say that both were surprised was somewhat an understatement. Both have wanted to visit Levi's home dimension, and from what they've heard from both Levi himself and Star, it was a beautiful place, in terms of both nature and civilization. They've both also wanted to meet his family. Of course both don't know much about them (Jackie more so, since Levi had forgotten about telling her about his sister), so the prospect of meeting the royal family of Plurix was exciting to the two girls. So Levi wasn't surprised when they both eagerly accepted the offer; in fact, he was more happy about it.

The trio then walked out of the house, and Levi took out his dimensional scissors. He cuts open a portal, and they then walked in.

* * *

Arriving in Plurix, none of the citizens noted the arrival of the three, shrugging. The ones that did, though, just merely smiled, especially towards Levi. He was their prince after all.

Levi breathed deeply, and exhaled, taking in the fact that he was now back home, even though it was temporary.

"I'm home. Nothing ever makes the feeling old than being back." He said. The two were awed at the sight before them. Various houses were either painted white, black, or beige, with a Victorian Era-style to it. There were some cars being driven on the road, albeit they looked more modern than what the houses were entailed. However, there were also tall buildings of various sizes, similar to those of Earth. The two noted that most of those buildings were painted either blue or white, and that the most striking feature were the glass windows, in randomized shapes.

"I can tell you guys are awed. Behind me is my home." He said, and the trio turned around.

His home was actually a castle. While obviously not as big as the Mewnian castle (then again, what kind of castle could rival Mewni's? It's so freakin' huge!), it didn't make it all the more visually striking. The roofs of the castle are actually made of a combination of tempered glass and steel, merging the two together to make it incredibly strong and lightweight. The outer walls of the castle were made with super-heated and cooled metal as the foundation for the concrete, also making it very strong, with white as the predominant color. The doors were large, and they were made of wood from the trees of their forests, painting it brown. And in front of the main castle doors were two guards, there to stand watch.

"Come on you guys, let's go."

As they approached the castle, Jackie then asked him, "You never did tell us why you went back home. What's the reason?"

"Well, remember 'that' day, which I told you that I called my parents?" She nodded, and he continued, "They told me that I was to come here to check me on any... anomalies that may occur. I figured, since I'd be going, I might as well take you two here." He said, and they reacted with understanding. However, aside from his parents' instructions, there was another reason he had readily agreed to go back. He had forgotten something. Something... very close to his heart.

They were close to the doors at this point. The two guards spotted them. "Halt!" They said. "State your business for visiting the royal family." They spoke again in unison. Levi smiled.

"Come on Tivon, Alsem, don't you guys recognize me? I know it's been three months, but come on!" He said. The two guards then took a closer look, and they both widened their eyes.

"Prince Levi? We were told that you would be here today, but we did not expect you to be here this early. We apologize for not recognizing you immediately." Tivon, the guard on the left said. Levi waves it off.

"Eh, no biggie, you guys. Oh, by the way, the two girls are my friends, Jackie and Janna. They don't mean harm, don't worry." He said.

"I will inform your parents of your arrival, sir." Alsem, the other guard, said, to which Levi shook his head.

"Nah, we're good. I know my way around, and I'll find them. Is Yelena there?"

 _'Yelena?'_ Both girls thought in confusion and slight curiosity.

"She just woke up earlier, young prince."

Levi nodded at that. "Good. We'll be on our way inside then." He said. The guards nodded and opened the doors. The three then walked inside. Once they were in, the doors were closed, leaving them inside. The trio took a few seconds to look at the scene before them as they continued walking. The walls were painted a snow white color, there were various windows on each side, and also, are 8 portraits of the previous rulers of Plurix. The only exception to that is a missing sixth portrait. The two girls noted that, but decided to ask him at a later time. They then got to the end of the main hallway. There were three doors, one each on the center, the left side, and the right side.

"Center door leads to the throne room and courtyard, and optional dungeons. Left leads to the quarters, and right leads to the dining hall an the kitchens. The rest is actually on those doors we passed. We'll take the door on the right. I'm pretty sure they're eating breakfast at this time." Levi instructed, and opened the said door, walking in as he closed the door back.

There they saw them. The king, queen, and princess. They all sat on the chairs, eating, and as soon as they heard the door open and close, they immediately looked and noticed the three of them right away. Surprise was evident on their faces.

"Levi?" All three of them called out. He smiled.

"It's good to see you again in person, mom, dad, Yelena." He said, and he was unexpectedly tackled by his sister. He had caught her in time, though, and he lifted her high in the air, before catching her once more as she fell. She giggled.

"Hi Levi! We didn't expect you to be here this early! But at least you're here! Yay!" She said, and then noticed the two girls behind him. She smiled at them, and said, "Hi there! I'm Yelena, this knucklehead's younger sister! I'm ten years old!" She then got off of Levi, and ran to them.

"Who are you guys?" She excitedly asked. The two girls were somewhat... surprised by this girl's energy, but nonetheless answered her question.

"I'm Janna Aldridge. Jackie's best friend, and in extension, Levi's."

"I'm Jackie Lynn Thomas. I'm Janna and Levi's best friend."

It was then that Yelena gained a very mischievous grin, and she turned to Levi, and she pointed at Jackie.

"So this is the girl you've been telling me for quite some time now. She's really pretty. I have to say, you're good." She said, still mischievously grinning.

Levi widened his eyes, and shook his head rapidly. "W-what the heck are you talking about little sister?! I only told you about her the last time we talked over the mirror!"

"You've been telling me a lot of things about her recently. How much you think of her to be pretty, and how much you liiiiiiike heeeeer! And why haven't you told her about me yet?"

"Come to think of it, Levi... why didn't you tell me that you had a sister?" Jackie cut in. Levi realized how much he'd have to explain, with Yelena's teasing act just embarrassing him and Jackie now wondering if this was the secret he'd been hiding. Janna meanwhile stepped away from the three and walked next to the royal husband and wife. She had been grinning the entire time, loving the interactions the three of them are having.

"Have the two of them always been like that?" She asked, as they looked on. The two parents chuckled and nodded. Corrina Anne spoke, "Yes. They've been like that since Levi was ten. She'd always rile him up in some way, but it has always been playful ones, no ill feelings towards each other. Other times, she'd sometimes make him nervous or embarrassed, and it always brings a smile to her face, and his too when it's all said and done, because it had always been in good spirits."

"And that's why I wasn't able to tell you. And also, no, that is not the secret I've not told anyone about, except Star, of course. Can you forgive me now?" Levi said to Jackie. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, alright. You're forgiven, but in turn you'll have to cook the next three days straight." She said, but could not fight back a smile. He laughed lightly.

"I think I can take it. I've had worse." He then turned towards his parents and Janna.

"So, mom, dad... what's next?"

"Well... we did not expect you to come here this early. We had your appointment in at about eleven. We'll let you go off until its time for you to be checked out." Corrina Anne said.

"In the meantime, why don't you take your two friends to see our world? You can take Yelena with you as well." Victor suggested. Levi grinned.

"Really? Sweet! Come one, you guys, no time to lose!" He said, and ran off, followed by the three girls, all of them laughing, leaving the king and queen there as they chuckled at their eagerness. However, Corrina turned to her husband, worried about something.

"Dear, do you think he will find out?" She asked him. He turned to her, closed his eyes and he slowly nodded.

"Unfortunately, he will soon enough, love. It will be a matter of time before he confronts us with what we did. Especially since it's something very close to him, and who knows? Maybe he already does, and he's just waiting for the right time to confront us..."

Outside the castle, the four of them stood, having stopped running.

"Alright, where do we go first, big bro?" Yelena asked. Levi shrugged.

"Honestly? I don't even know where to start. Well, I guess I have one question."

"What's that?" The three girls asked.

"Are you guys spoiling for a fight?"

* * *

"Levi! How have you been, my old apprentice?"

"Master Li'An! I've been good! Still adjusting to Earth life, but I'm alright. It's with the help of my best friends here."

Li'An Nabusa is Levi's fighting teacher, currently of fifty-seven years of age. Despite his age, he was still agile, strong, and skilled as he was in his prime, if only slightly less. He was widely regarded in Plurix as one of the best fighters, of both unarmed and melee, but now he has retired from the competition, and has now become a teacher for twenty-two years. Although he has not taken many aspiring fighters under his wing, (heck, you could count them with less than two hands!) the ones that were his apprentices all became very well-known. Training Levi was his most ardurous challenge yet. The reason for that was that, unlike the rest of the ones that were trained under his wing, Levi was the only one who had the special energy inside. Along with training him in both unarmed and melee fighting, he also had the duty to help him control the energy in its awakening. Nonetheless, though, after four years of weekly training, ending with his departure, he was now proud to say that Levi was his best student. Even though he has retired from fighting except his mentorship, he still does his training to keep himself in shape, despite his age, so his appearance is more lean, but there is still traces of pure muscle, and also along with the white hair that comes with age.

They bowed respectfully towards each other, and then smiled.

"What brings you here, my boy? Did you want to introduce me to your friends?" Li'An asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am." Levi responded. He then walked towards the three girls.

"You already know my little sister, Yelena." Yelena then happily waved at the elderly mentor. "Hi, mister Nabusa! It's great to see you again!" She said. Li'An waved back and smiled at her. "Good to see you again as well, Princess Yoren." He said. Levi then walked to Jackie.

"This is Jackie. She's my best friend, and she's been helping me adjust to Earth life ever since I got there." He said. Jackie smiled.

He then walked to Janna. "And this is Janna. She's also my best friend, and she also helps me adjust to being on Earth." Janna smiled as well. Li'An smiled back at them.

"Well, any friend of Levi is a friend of mine." He said. He shook hands with the two girls. "So Levi, what else is it that you came here for?"

Levi sheepishly scratched his head, somewhat nervous. "This is kinda hard to ask, master, but can we fight, for old time's sake?"

"Oh? What brought this on, my apprentice? I still remembered the last time we fought. You were at your end, and eventually even though you didn't give up, you passed out, but you impressed me that day."

"Two reasons. First, I wanted to see how far I can go this time. Second... well, I kinda promised them a fight." He said.

Li'An heartily laughed. "Is that all? That is no problem at all! Of course, you know the stipulations of our last fight, correct?" He asked, to which Levi smiled back.

"Of course, master, how could I? First rule, no magic. Second..."

As the two conversed, Jackie and Janna turned to Yelena.

"Hey, Yelena?" Jackie called her.

"Yeah, Jackie? What's up?" She asked.

"How long has Levi had the energy inside him?"

"In actuality, we've had it since we were born, but it awakens usually between eight years and ten-and-a-half. For my big brother, he's awakened it a few days before his tenth birthday. When we found out, we came to Master Li'An, who readily accepted mentoring him, because of both the energy, and the fact that he has known Levi since he was eight. He was the one who helped him cope with the nightmares he had."

"They have a deep bond, don't they?" Janna asked, as they turned to the master and apprentice.

"Yeah, they do. The only two other people who's had that bond at such a level, were Star, and... and..." She couldn't continue speaking, as a single tear emerged from her left eye.

"What's wrong, Yelena?" Janna asked her. Yelena quickly shook her head.

"No, it's... it's nothing, you two."

"Say, Yelena?" Jackie called out again.

"Yes, Jackie?"

Jackie was about to speak, but couldn't. She couldn't exactly pinpoint why, but eventually she decided not to instead. She shook her head at Yelena.

"No... nothing. It's fine." She said, giving a small smile instead. Yelena curiously looked at her, before shrugging seconds later.

"If you say so, Jackie." She said, looking back at the two fighters.

* * *

"Where next, Levi? That fight was awesome, by the way. We couldn't really determine who had the advantage by the end."

"Yeah, but I still lost, again. But I think I got through it much better than last time."

They were all back in front of the castle, thinking where to go next.

In the end, Levi still could not beat his old master, as he had not anticipated the sudden and unexpected activation of his eyes by accident, surprising him, allowing Li'An to take advantage. He did recover, but it was too late. He had no way to bounce back.

He remembered the end of their fight.

 _"Did something happen to your eyes, my boy?" Li'An asked, offering his hand to the downed prince. Levi accepted it and stood up._

 _"They have. I underwent the maturation stage ten days ago. I got those eyes as a result. But I don't remember activating them when we fought..." Levi explained. Li'An smiled and placed his hand on his shoulder._

 _"It isn't your fault, my boy. You did not know. It surprised me as well, and they amazed me. They're beautiful, those eyes of yours. But either way, you still lost, but I think that... had those eyes were not activated, you would have won. You have the potential to truly surpass me." He said._

 _"Thanks... master."_

After that, they left, and headed back to the castle, which brings us back to where we are.

"Goddamn, is that you Levizerian?"

He cringed at the name spoken. He turned around, just as the others did as well, and they saw her.

"Don't call me that, Therese." He said. The Plurixian girl in question smirked.

"I will, once you stop calling me that, and begin calling me as Thea, Levizerian." She said.

He smirked at her. "Heh. It's good to see you again, Thea. It's been quite a while." He walked over to her and hugged her. Jackie and Janna were confused at the scene, while Yelena smiled.

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back. "Yeah. It has been. Missed you."

Therese DeQuizuno, often nicknamed 'Thea', is Levi's best friend in Plurix prior to Levi's arrival on Earth, and even before he met Star. She has blue hair, blue eyes, she's a few inches shorter than Levi, and usually wears a bright-colored blouse (she's wearing an orange one today), a denim skirt, a blue wristwatch, and brown sneakers. They were (and still are) childhood friends, having met as little toddlers. Thea's father is a close friend of the Yoren family, and being the head of their military force, it would make sense, forming a close connection with the monarchy.

However, that is not what she intends to be. Currently, she works part-time as an interdimensional courier.

"Missed you too." He said. He then remembered about the others, and he turned to them. "Oh! Sorry about that. Jackie, Janna, this here is my best friend here in Plurix."

"Hey there. Therese DeQuizuno. Call me Thea. And hi there Yelena!" She said.

"Janna Aldridge. Nice to meetcha."

"Jackie... Lynn Thomas." Jackie somewhat hesitated, having felt an unknown tinge in her body.

"Hi Thea!"

"Nice to meet you two!" She said, and hugged both of them, along with Yelena. As she let go of them, Thea walked back to Levi.

"That was rather... strange." Jackie said.

"Oh, don't worry about Thea. She does that all the time. She hugs the people she meets."

"So, what brings you here, Thea?" Levi asked as they all walked towards inside the castle.

"I was actually tasked with a delivery to your family. They had ordered some basic stuff, like gold, silver, energy crystals, dragonsteel, enchanted glass, and some tools as well."

"That seems to be something my dad would do. When did he order?"

"Wasn't your dad, but it was your mom, actually. She ordered the stuff about three days ago. We only got it finished earlier."

"Now that's a bit strange. I know my dad would order the stuff, but mom? That kinda puts me off."

"Well, whatever the case, I think your mom has something planned."

"I guess. Hey, remember the one time we pranked our parents?"

She laughed. "Yeah, I still remember that! Paint guns, makeshift colored powder mines, and feathers! Great times..."

As the two Plurixians conversed with one another, the two Earth girls, plus Yelena, had their own conversation.

"How do you feel so far about being here on Plurix?" Yelena asked.

"Kinda strange, but it's almost like Earth, but it does have its subtle differences." Jackie said.

Janna then voiced out, "I feel the same. I've noticed that you've been looking at the two a lot ever since they hugged. You jealous?"

Jackie widened her eyes. "What?! No! What makes you think that I even like him? That's insane!"

"Not from the little things that I've seen between you and Levi. And don't make it seem that you don't like him, girl. That event with his maturation clearly showed. You liiiike him." She then teasingly smiled, playfully poking her arm.

"I was concerned for him! Anyone would be!"

Yelena then piped up, "Come on Jackie. Don't be shy about it. If what Janna's said is true, then you do like him!"

Jackie, heavily blushing in embarrassment, covered her ears, and said, "Come on guuuuuuys. I don't. I really don't." Yelena and Janna could only chuckle.

 _'Keep on believing, girl.'_ They both thought.

They then arrived at the throne room, where the king and queen were currently sitting at, with Victor using a special kind of technological headset, and Corrina Anne reading a book. They heard the doors open, and they stopped what they were doing.

"Ahhh, good to see you all again. And hello to you as well, Thea." Victor said.

"Greetings as well, sir." She said, and then turned to the queen. "My queen, the items you requested are now complete. Here." She took out a tiny glass box, and made her hands glow, encompassing the box. It then grew bigger, until to the point it was of normal size.

Corrina Anne smiled. "Good. I'll be sure to give payment to your employers." She said.

Thea bowed. "Thank you, my queen."

"If you want to stay, that's alright with us. Levi's going to have the check-up on his maturation stage some minutes later. However, you'll have to wait somewhere with Jackie, Janna, and Yelena, as only Levi can go inside the room." She said. Thea smiled.

"That'd be great."

Victor then turned to Levi.

"Levi, my son?"

"Yeah, dad?"

"It's time."

He nodded, turning away, before suddenly turning back towards them, glaring hard at both his parents, his demeanor changed all of a sudden.

"After this, we're gonna have to talk about something, understand, mom? Dad?"

They solemnly nodded. "Of course, son." They both said. With that, he turned to the four girls.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Just wait for me somewhere, and we'll go once I'm done, alright?" After that, he quickly turned and walked away. The girls, except Yelena worriedly looked at him.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Jackie asked in concern.

"He will be." Yelena said.

* * *

"It seems your darkness energy was unstable, young prince. Though there's no anomalies currently." Their royal physician said.

"What was the cause, doc?" Levi asked. He was sitting on a hospital bed in the infirmary, with his doctor looking over a clipboard. He had just finished giving Levi a diagnostic, after about an hour and a half.

"It seems that your stay on Earth was part of the reason. I'm not saying that you shouldn't stay, however. The difference in the environment, no matter how similar our dimension it was with Earth, was ultimately the cause. Your body was trying to adjust to Earth's environment, and in doing so, the energy within you turned unstable, forcing you to undergo maturation a bit too early."

"I see. I understand, doc. Any suggestions, medications, anything doc?"

"No. I don't think there is anything to worry about, Levi. Both your body and your energy signature can now handle both ours and Earth's environment. It was mostly during the maturation stage that your energy was trying to adjust to Earth. Mostly, pre-maturation, prolonged exposure to an environment that isn't Plurix will accelerate the instability of the energy within. But now, your energy within you has now returned to stable form."

"Wow. Never really thought about that."

"You'd be amazed, my prince. You'd be amazed indeed." The doctor smiled at him. "You can go now, prince Levi."

"I just really wish you just call me Levi, doc. Not really great with formalities."

"It's a habit, unfortunately."

Levi then left the infirmary. He returned to the throne room, only to find no one there.

 _'They must be in the courtyard.'_

And so he walked towards there. When he went outside, he saw Yelena playing with the three teenage girls, and Victor and Corrina Anne smiling and laughing with them, occassionally playing as well. He smiled at the scene, but then that smile disappeared soon after. He decided to let himself be known.

"Hey! I'm back!" He said. They all went to him.

"What was the result?" Thea asked him.

"Nothing too bad. I just learned why I had to undergo it so early." He then repeated what the doctor had said to him, and in the end telling them that he was alright.

"I thought we'd be worried for a second there." Jackie said.

"Nothing to worry about, as I said. I'm fine." Levi said.

"I'm glad you're alright big bro." Yelena said, hugging him tightly.

"It's alright, Yelena. It's alright." He hugged her as well. They soon pulled away. He then turned to their parents.

"It's time we talk."

* * *

"Damn it! Why did you guys hide the guitar?! And where the hell is it?!"

"I know how much it means to you, Levi, but you have to let go of it sooner or later, son!"

They were in Levi's bedroom in the castle. He was sitting on his bed, while his parents sat opposite of him.

"That is the only remaining memento of my him now! He gave it to me! He said that in the event that he dies, that guitar now belongs to me! I can't ever get it out that he had to die so soon! I'm trying to honor his memory by still using it!"

"We know that, but it has been six years since his death! Sooner or later, it has to be stopped! You don't think that we miss him too?!"

"I know that! But to me it seems that you both just want me to forget everything about him! I don't want that! I want to remember all the times I've had with him! That guitar is the one thing that helped me recover from his death!"

"You've greived for long enough, Levi. You have to respect his memory. You have to let go."

"You think that I'm still grieving?! REALLY?! I just want the guitar. If he was here, he would give me the guitar to pass on. I've learned lessons from him, I've sang with him, damn it all, I love him! And I know you guys too! But I feel that I love him the most! You take away that, you guys are the ones who disrespect his memory."

Before any of them could continue, they all heard a scream. They turned to the door. Before Levi left, he said to the two, "We're not done with this. Until you give me the guitar and honor his memory. Let me handle this on my own." He ran past the door, leaving two very saddened and concerned parents.

"Jackie! Janna! Thea! Yelena!" He called out as he kept running. He then sees two fallen bodies, both of which are guards. He checks their pulse. They're still breathing, and he deduced that the two were only knocked out. He then closed his eyes and changed them. Opening them, he finds red footprint energy signatures left on the floor, and he follows those footsteps. He finds himself at the door leading to the courtyard. With caution and hesitance, he opens the door.

"Levi! HELP US!" Those were the first words he heard when he got into the courtyard, said by alk four girls. He saw the four of them tied up.

He widened his eyes in shock. "Guys! Hold on!" He said.

As soon as he stepped closer, three black robed figures appeared. He then immediately got into a fighting stance, deactivating his eyes.

"Who the fuck are you three? And why are you doing this?"

The middle of the three, his robe without a symbol, spoke, "We are members of the Order of the Darkness and Fury. We simply seek peace over the land of this dimension. To achieve that end, we will resort to any measure our master tells us to. He ordered us to lure you out, and take you alive. That's what we did to do so. We took the ones close to you. Now, we will just need to take you."

The left of the three, his robe having a symbol of the sun, then spoke, "Now please, if you want your friends safe and sound, come with us. We will ensure no harm if you surrender to us."

Levi shook his head.

"You won't be able to get me that easily." He said. He then shot out dark spikes towards them. As he expected, they quickly dodged them. He stopped the movements of the spikes, and changed their forms into hands. Those hands quickly approached the girls, and they untied them.

"Yelena! Get them out of here and get to our parents! You four will be safe there! Go!" He instructed, and Yelena nodded.

"Hold on to each other!" Yelena said. The other three girls did so, and Yelena held on to Jackie and Thea. Wings formed on her back, and she quickly rose, flying away from the courtyard.

"This will not happen!" The last of the three robed figures, his robe having a symbol of the moon, yelled, and threw a dagger towards them, the speed amplified by him continuously unleashing water, aiming for Yelena, unaware of the weapon thrown towards her.

Levi, seeing this, widened his eyes in shock. "YELENA! NO!" He shot a dark energy beam at it, disintegrating the dagger and the water. By this time, the four had now gotten away safely.

Their safety now assured, Levi turns towards the three.

"You just made a foolish mistake of trying to harm my little sister and my friends. You fucking _**pissed me off**_ _._ You three will regret that. _**Painfully**_ _._ " He frigidly said, unknowingly sending shivers to the two symbolized Brotherhood members. The remaining member, the symbol-less one, wasn't fazed by his statement, however.

"As I've said, we've now lured you out. We will take you by force if we have to." The unfazed one said, and with blinding speed thanks to his wind energy, rushed to him and sent a punch towards his gut. Levi counters with a stinging kick to his head. He clutches his head in pain.

He quickly recovers, however. He shakes his head and throws a knife at Levi, while telling the other two, who are still in fear, "What are you two standing there for?! We need to take him down!"

The sun-robed member sends out a fire blast towards Levi, who goes out of the way, only to meet a torrent of water from the moon-robed member. He continues to unleash a continuous torrent of water to Levi. He knew the risks. He knew he would fight back.

He did not expect _how_ he would. Suddenly, the water he was unleashing was turning black, surprising him. It reached him, and the black water threw him away towards a wall, impacting it and giving him a lot of pain. The other tried to blast him again with fire, but Levi turned towards it and sent a dark blast to counter it, turning it black, and turning it back towards him. The fire immediately burns at his clothes and skin. He screams as he tries to put out the flames, to no avail.

"You're lucky that those aren't the black flames of Amaterasu." He said, giving the burning member a death stare. He shoots him with a dark arrow to his hand. The moon-robed one tries to strike him again, along with the other, but Levi anticipates it, and dark hands rise out of his sides to grab them. The two then use their energies to try and hit him, but he moves out of the way, thus hitting each other instead. He throws them towards each other, impacting their foreheads, painful enough to actually draw blood, and throws them away.

The two land on the ground with a painful thud. They moaned in pain and touched their foreheads, feeling blood dripping down. The unfazed one, looking at his bloodied hand, angrily glares at Levi, and stands up and draws wind energy, forming a small tornado. As he does, however, he sees Levi's eyes.

While calm and tranquil, they looked _extremely frigid_ , almost death-like. His eyes had turned back to their awakened state, but underneath they felt an aura so dark, it stopped them from doing anything.

Still, the same one drew wind energy to try and knock Levi out. Levi simply walks over towards him, and the other two members tried to stall him, unfortunately, to no avail. He slams his hands on the ground, and three dark arms held the three together, stopping their attacks altogether.

"You said you would take me alive. You failed. Hurt my precious ones again, and it'll be even worse than before. Tell your master that I will not allow myself to surrender." He said, his eyes returning to normal, and knocked them out by striking a specific nerve point, before pushing them out of the castle.

The ordeal over, he breathed heavily, and lied down.

 _'Not the best way to end a visit to your home.'_ He thought, seeing the afternoon sky fading before closing his eyes, and going to sleep, letting his body rest.

He woke up some time later, saw Jackie above him, and realized that he's lying down on her lap. She looks down, sees him wake up, and smiles at him.

"Levi. You're awake." She said.

"Jackie? Where am I? And what time is it?" He asked.

"You're in your bedroom. Kinda got worried about you. But they told me you'd be fine, and that you just needed some sleep. It looks like it's night here." She answered.

"Oh, I see. How are the others?"

"They're all unharmed. They just tied us up. No harm done to any of us."

He then sat up.

"And my parents?"

"Currently at the throne room."

"Right. I think it's time for us to get back. We got what we came here for."

Minutes later, at the throne room, everyone else saw the two walk in.

"You're awake." Victor said.

"Yeah. I guess I just needed some more rest." Levi said.

"Well, we're all glad that you're awake and okay now." Corrina Anne said.

"What now?" Yelena asked.

"I'm sorry to say this, Yelena, but it's time for us to get back to Earth."

"Really?! But you just came here hours ago!"

"I know that, sis, but you know why."

"I do. It's just, I'll miss you again."

Levi crouched down and smiled at her.

"Then let me give you something to remember me by." He said. He reached for the back of his neck, and seconds later, handed out a necklace to her. It had a circle that had three sections: two of which were colored black, and the other was colored white.

"He gave this to me to remember the both of you. Now, I'm gonna give this to you now, to remember us." He said, and tied the necklace around her.

"With that, I'm sure you won't forget me and all the times we had, sis. I'll miss you too." He said. Her respons was to simply hug him tightly.

"I love you, big bro." She said. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too, Yelena." He said.

They pulled away, and Corrina Anne led Yelena to her bedroom.

"It's best that I leave now. It was nice seeing you again, Levi." Thea said, before hugging him as well.

"We'll see each other again soo, Thea." He said before pulling away, and Thea waved at the two Earth teens and walking away and out of the throne room.

Jackie then took out the dimensional scissors and cut open a portal.

"It was nice meeting your daughter, King Victor." Jackie said.

"It was her pleasure too, meeting you two. We knew you'd get along with her very nicely, and we weren't wrong about that."

"Will we ever see this place again?" Janna asked. It was then that Corrina Anne returned and heard in time.

She smiled. "It is possible."

The two girls bowed before the monarchs. "Until we meet again." They nodded at them.

"I'll see you guys soon, then." Levi said. He hugged both of them and walked towards the portal, with Jackie and Janna walking through it.

"Son, wait." They both called out. He turned back towards them.

"Yeah mom, dad?"

"There's one last thing that we forgot to give you... and we're sorry for witholding you from it. We understood now what you meant, and we're so sorry for not being understanding to you." Victor said.

Levi, knowing what they meant, smiled.

"Apology accepted."

* * *

In a dark room, with the only source of light being a single light bulb, stood the fallen three members, kneeling before their master, who was shrouded in the shadows, with two bodyguards flanking him on each side.

"We apologize for our failure, master. He was simply too strong and too intimidating for us to handle. We tried our best, but we could not take him. We have failed you, master." The symbol-less one spoke. The master did not speak for a few seconds, before eventually responding, "That is understandable. This was, after all, your first serious mission. Taking the young prince was not easy, and I understand that you might not complete your mission, which is what happened. What powers did he exhibit?"

They proceeded to tell him the events of earlier, detailing Levi's powers. All throughout, the master did not speak, listening to every word they said.

When it was all done, they felt him nod. "Ahhh, so it seems he has grown. You three may leave now." He said, and the three turned walked away, with him looking on.

He then turned to his bodyguards, and then turned back and walked away, with one simple order told:

"They are of no use to me. Kill them."

As he walked away, hearing the agonizing screams of pain and death, he darkly chuckled.

 _'Levi. You'll see us again in another time. That was simply to gauge your strength. The Brotherhood of Darkness and Fury will fulfill our true goal soon enough.'_

* * *

It was night, ten in the evening, to be exact. Jackie was already asleep, and so was most of Echo Creek. Levi, however, wasn't.

He was sitting on the roof. He was holding a guitar. It was dark blue, with red streaks all over it.

Then, he plucked the strings slowly.

"Windmill, windmill for the land... turn forever hand in hand..."

He then plucked the strings more.

"Take it all in on your stride... it is sinking, falling down..."

He played faster.

"Love forever, love is free... let's turn forever, you and me..."

He then slowed down.

"Windmill, windmill for the land, is everybody in?"

He stopped. He wasn't aware of it, but as Jackie slept, she heard his music, and she unknowingly smiled.

He looked on at the night sky. The moon and the stars were bright tonight, and he smiled.

' _They're beautiful. Just like her.'_

* * *

 **AN: Now, obviously I've introduced some new characters, namely Yelena and Thea. They'll be appearing in more soon enough.**

 **Onto my reaction to the promo for season 2: First of all, SMOOCH BUDDIES?! How did that happen?! Is it definitely canon? Only time will tell. Second, what happened to Ludo? He seemed to be a lot worse off since the events of the finale, and I haven't seen his minions, nor Buff Frog, as well. Third, what does Tom plan in store for Marco? We all saw him looking at a spinning Marco on a wheel, so he's got a revenge plan of sorts. I'm curious about him. Fourth, MORE CHAOS!**

 **Next, my expectations for season 2: One, and the most important, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Outside of Star and Marco, Toffee, Ludo, Buff Frog, and the Diaz's and Butterfly's, we don't see more of the rest of the characters, particularly Jackie, Janna, Brittney, Tom, and Oskar. Two, the quick resolution of finding the wand's star shard half, and the secret of the whispering spell. I hope that we'll see more of a backstory behind the wand that has been passed down for generations, and also the backstory of the whispering spell, how it's important, why it did what it did in the finale, and the reasons of its existence. Lastly, MORE STARCO! Enough said.**

 **Also, with season 2 on the horizon, I have a lot more work to do now, finding the appropriate episodes to add here for the rewrites, and also (if possible), more new ideas of their own adventures. At least it'll be a lot more than what I've planned.**

 **On another note, I've now divided the story into how many years has Levi been in on Earth. They will need to grow up eventually.**

 **That's pretty much it. Leave a review, follow, or favorite. PM me if you've got any questions on this episode.**

 **Until then, everyone. Keep on reading!**


	10. Year 1 - The Light At The End

**AN: School work's been taking a lot of my time and my focus, so it really took me a long time to finish this.**

 **Now onto my opinions on the episodes. I've watched all the aired episodes online, and they all didn't disappoint, especially Ludo in the Wild. I loved that episode the most. Ludo was plain awesome, and that wand will really give a lot of theories on it. I'm betting on Toffee having something to do with it. And I was a bit angered in Mr. Candle Cares that Marco lied about him and Star being 'smooch buddies', but it was all good in the end. However, that episode changed my view on Tom, and maybe my plans for him too for this fic. I don't know. Red Belt was a fun episode to watch. Star on Wheels was better, though Oskar's still a question mark for me, but man, those eyes. Fetch was a heartwarming one to me, while My New Wand was a great beginning to season 2, along with Ludo in the Wild. And based on the preview to Star vs. Echo Creek and Wand to Wand, I think we'll be having big events happening on both.**

 **So, here's the next one. That's all I can say, other than my attempt at zombies. Enjoy.**

 **The Light at the End  
Premise: Most of Echo Creek have been turned into zombies. Levi, Jackie, Janna, Star, and Marco must find a way to turn everyone back to normal, and it has something to do with Janna.**

* * *

It was a Friday night, at seven in the evening. In Echo Creek, there were five figures running for their lives: Janna, Jackie, Star, Marco, and Levi. What were they running away from?

Zombies. Specifically, the residents of Echo Creek have been turned into zombies.

They all kept on running, until they got to a metal door. Janna tried to open it.

"Guys?" Janna called out. Jackie was next to her, worriedly looking at the trio, while Levi, Star, and Marco were busy currently fighting off the zombies, being careful not to kill them.

"This may take a while." She said, taking out a bobby pin and a small screwdriver from her dress pockets.

"Well whatever it takes to open that door, better do it fast!" Marco exclaimed as he kicked away a zombie.

"Make it quick! Super Sugar Paralysis Dust Cloud!" Star said, and her wand flashed brightly, unleashing a torrent of magic in the form of a huge dust cloud, with added sugar. It enveloped the horde, and they all froze in place, save for a few unreached, who quickly moved towards them.

"Double time!" Levi said, as he sent dark concussive blasts towards the zombies.

Janna fumbled with the pin and screwdriver as she tried to pick the lock. Jackie was now pushing the other zombies flanking them.

"Janna! Please hurry up!" Jackie said.

"I know! I'm trying!" Janna said back.

 _'Come on, come on... better work you stupid hairpin...'_ She kept thinking as she twisted and rotated the makeshift lockpick, until she heard an audible 'click'.

"YES!" She exclaimed as she kicked back an approaching zombie. She hurriedly opened the door.

"Guys! Get in here! Hurry!" Janna instructed. They all looked back, and ran to the open doorway, the zombies still rapidly coming after them.

Once they all went into the room, with Marco the last, he closed the door, but not before meeting resistance, with many of the zomies pushing the door against them.

"Help me out here!" He said. The others went towards the door and pushed to close it. They were overpowering the zombies, and Marco looked out the doorway.

He saw the zombified faces of his parents. He solemnly looked at them as he sighed in sadness, looking down. He then looked back at them again.

"I'm really sorry about this, mom and dad. But I hope you guys understand... and forgive me." He forlornly said. Letting go of the door handle, allowing the others to push even more, he jumped and dropkicked both his parents, hitting them right in their faces. The kick pushed them back, also pushing away the zombies behind the two. With that, they closed the door and quickly barricaded it.

With that, they all sighed in relief.

Well, almost all of them.

They heard quick, labored breaths, and they all turned to the source.

Janna.

She was hyperventilating, clutching her chest in panic. Jackie quickly rushed to her and handed her a paper bag she had in her pocket. Janna, in a blur, took the paper bag and started breathing into it, as Jackie held her.

"Calm down, Janna. We're all alive. We're all safe for now. They won't get to us that easily. Just breathe." She soothingly said to her. Soon enough, Janna's breaths lessened and slowed in pace, down to calm inhales and exhales.

Once Jackie felt that Janna was sufficiently stable, she took off her hand, only for her to be suddenly embraced by the tomboy. Jackie felt tears on her shoulder. She widened her eyes. The other three did as well.

"This is all my fault... fucking hell, I shouldn't have done this... fuck..." She said, though her voice was muffled from embracing Jackie.

"No, Janna. There's no way this is your fault." Jackie said.

"But it is! Remember when you and Marco were handling Levi and Star's... transformations?"

"That had been almost a month ago, Janna."

"One that we hope to forget." Levi and Star said at the same time. They looked towards each other, and shrugged, turning back to the crying tomboy and the comforting skater girl.

"Sorry. We're not angry at you." They both said to Janna.

"That's okay. Anyways, that was the time that I had gotten Star's spellbook."

* * *

One Month Ago...

"Yo, Fergs, you have that book?" Janna asked, as she met up with Ferguson. It was lunchtime.

"Yup, sure do Janna. Though, mind me asking, but why do you need the book?" Ferguson asked.

"Personal reasons, Fergs. Very personal reasons. I can't tell you that."

"Well, that's fine by me. Just, be careful with that, alright?"

She laughed lightly. "Fergs, that's Marco's job." The two teens parted ways.

Much time passed since then.

"Hey, you two, wanna see a dead possum?" She said as she approached Hope and a female student, Jean, dragging a seemingly heavy sack as she walked towards them.

Needless to say, they were both grossed out at Janna's words.

"Ummm, no thanks, Janna."

Jean meanwhile strangely looked at her.

Janna laughed.

"Don't worry you guys. I'm just messin' with ya. Here's what I found!" She then took out the contents of the sack, which was Star's spellbook. That got the two girls their attention.

"Ooooohhhh, what is it?" Jean asked.

"It's a magic spellbook! We can do all sorts of _witchy_ stuff with this nifty book!" Janna said.

"Awesome! That sounds really cool!" She said.

"Can it help stop my parents from fighting each other?" Hope asked, with... well, hope in her voice and eyes.

Janna smirked.

"Absolutely."

They soon left her, and she took out and opened the book. She smirked as Glossaryck appeared.

"You have any pudding?"

A few hours after the transformation incident, Janna got home. She was greeted by her mother, who was cooking.

"Hi sweetie. How was school today?" She asked.

The tomboy shrugged and smiled. "Pretty normal, actually. Well... except for Levi and Star transforming into something... physically different."

Her mother then turned to her. "Are you okay, hun? You weren't hurt, were you?" She asked.

She shook her head. "No, mom. I'm okay. I didn't get hurt earlier."

Her mom smiled. "I'm glad. You know how concerned I am." Her smile then shifted to a frown, looking downcast. However, she felt arms wrap around her, and she looked back to see her daughter embracing her. She wrapped her arms around her too. They stayed like that for at least half a minute. Eventually, mother and daughter pulled away.

"We've been through this before, mom. I won't harm myself." She said to her mother.

"I'll be off in my room now." She continued, now walking up the stairs, before kissing her on the cheek.

'Love you, mom."

"Love you too, sweetie. I'll let you know when dinner's served."

With that, Janna's mother returned to cooking.

Janna got into her room, put down her bag, and threw herself onto the bed.

* * *

Janna Aldridge, despite the fact that she lived decently, she... had a certain problem.

She was the first and only child to Linna Aldridge and Xavier Aldridge. Both were very kind parents to her. They loved her as their most precious possession in their lives. They were both there for her for her first nine years. They were as close as a tightly-knitted family could possibly ever be, if anyone who knew them would be asked how close this family were. There was no way anything bad could happen to them.

Except, something did happen.

It was almost five months before Janna's tenth birthday. Linna was at home, watching her daughter do homework. Xavier meanwhile was driving on his way home, after picking up groceries.

It was a rather leisure drive, with the father driving calmly as he listened to the radio, music reverberating around the car.

As he drove, the music on the radio then suddenly switched to a news report.

"This just in!" The person on the radio spoke, and Xavier listened in intently.

"We have a high-speed chase on Highway 55. There are two wanted cars on the run as they are being pursued by five police vehicles."

 _'Highway 55? That's where I'm at.'_ Xavier thought, as he cautiously drove straight toward an intersection.

Meanwhile, back at Janna's, Linna was also listening to the news, only this time, she was watching on tv.

 _'Highway 55? Please be safe, Xavier.'_ The mother thought. She worriedly looked at her daughter, freely playing with her friend Marco, who was with his mother, unaware of the news being told.

"The drivers of the two suspects are being pursued under the warrant of arrest for a recent robbery of a bank, along with the deaths of five people inside-"

He could not hear the rest of the news, as his car was suddenly shunted by another car. As a result, his car had been thrown through the air, flipping and turning five times.

The car landed on its roof. Gas was leaking. Xavier opened his eyes, as he felt blood dripping down from his forehead. He tried to move, but he screamed in pain, as he realized that a glass shard became lodged on his side. He breathed in and out. He then took out his cellphone, and punched in the numbers of his wife's phone.

"This just in! We seem to have an accident in the intersection between Highway 55 and Route 87. There's a bluish-green car overturned on its roof, and another car, one of the suspect cars, colored black, whose front had been severely damaged. As of yet, we do not know the names of drivers of these respective cars..."

Linna then felt a beep on her side. She took it out, and saw her husband's name on the phone, calling her.

She felt a strange feeling of fear and dread, afraid of what is to come on this phone call. Regardless, she immediately pressed 'Answer'.

"Dear? Xavier?"

On the other side, Xavier coughed.

"Hey, Linna. I'm still breathing..." he coughed again, "... barely."

"Xavier! Hold on! I'll be coming over with Janna!"

"No... I think it's too late for that. Just know that I've left a little bit of something for you two to support each other."

No! Don't think of that! We'll be coming over right now!"

Xavier ignored her, instead choosing to say his last words.

"And also... I love you. You and Janna both. You two were really..."

BOOM!

An explosion burst through. The line went dead. She both saw and heard the explosion, on the phone, and on the television. She dropped her phone in shock.

The two kids heard it, and so did Angie. They looked at her.

"Mommy?" Janna called out. No response.

"Lins? What is it?" Angie called. No response either. Instead, she walked over to them.

"Just hug me."

"What?" Janna asked.

"Please. I just need someone."

So they did.

(The next day...)

"NO! DAD CAN'T BE GONE!" Janna yelled, and ran.

"Janna! Wait dear!" Her mother called out.

They were at the hospital. The morgue, to be exact.

Janna did not know why were they going to the hospital early in the morning. She wondered where her father was. She wondered why he didn't come home the previous night. Now, she knew, and she refused to accept it.

 _'Dad... he can't have died!'_ Janna thought. She eventually stopped running. She was then found by her mother.

"Janna... I know this is tough for you. It's also tough for me to accept it."

"How come you're taking it well? You don't seem to be so affected!" She yelled out, only for her to be tightly embraced by her mother. She felt tears on her shoulder.

"Who said I was, dear? I loved him too, as much as I love you now. That's why it's so hard dealing with it, sweetie. I didn't accept that he was gone either. It was all so sudden, last night. I just want someone to be there for me, just like what you want now. Now... now I'm afraid of losing you too. You... you're all that I have left now."

Janna did not respond. Instead she returned the embrace, and cried.

Since then, the two grew closer in the wake of their loved one's death. They both learned that Xavier had signed life insurance for all three of them, so that in the wake of any of their deaths through unfortunate causes, they'd still have enough to support each other. Putting it to good use, she kept it safe and used some of it for an investment, thereby continuing to earn.

The mother and daughter continued to live decently since then. However, the loss still stung them greatly, Janna even more. As time passed on, Janna grew interested in the occult, the spiritual, and dabbled in some forms of magic and witchcraft.

She wanted, no, _needed_ to speak with her dad one last time.

And Star's spellbook was the needed object for her to finally fulfill her long five-year wish.

* * *

Now, back at the fourteen-year old Janna, she turned around, facing the ceiling.

 _'Time for my wish to come true.'_ Janna thought. She stood up, walked over to her bag, and took out the spellbook. She opened it, and Glossaryck appeared.

The diminuitive tome of terms smiled. "Got more pudding?"

Janna smiled back. "That I do. As long as you tell me how to revive the dead."

"That's... rather risky. Tell you what... you'll need to make a deal."

"Alright. What is it?"

"Fifteen cups."

"Hmmm... I think I can make that. But first... give me four ingredients needed before I do so."

"Fair deal, I suppose."

Janna smirked. "I guess you can say I'm... desperate."

* * *

"Now, I take it back. I take it all back." Janna finished, pulling away from Jackie.

"I think I get what you mean, Janna." Levi muttered, mostly to himself. No one paid attention to it, however.

"When did you do this, Janna, and when did you return the book to me?" Star asked her cautiously.

"I did the ritual last night. I returned the book two days after your transformations."

Star turned away from Janna.

"Damn it. I will have to fix that book soon. Oh, and Levi?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Thanks for the glasses."

Levi smiled at her. "No problem." He said.

"I think we should all get some rest. I don't think they'll have their attention on us for a while." Marco suggested. The others nodded. At this point, they looked around at the place they sheltered themselves in.

There were two sofas placed near the center, big enough to fit at least three people each. There were closets and drawers on one side, a dinner table and chairs on another, and kitchen necessities on one other side.

"Eh, looks like we're gonna share." Levi said. He then walked over to the closets and opened each, looking for a few blankets. He found a few, and returned to the four.

"Here, I think these blankets should keep us warm." He said, handing one over to each of them. With that, they all went to a sofa. Star and Marco on one, and the remaining three on the other. Star and Marco positioned themselves opposite of each other. Janna already got to their sofa first, placing herself on one side, with the three of them falling asleep as soon as they had lied down.

That left the duo on the only free space on the sofa.

"Right..." Jackie said.

"This will be awkward." Levi said.

Levi and Jackie both placed themselves in a comfortable spot. Jackie rested next to him with her head placed on his shoulder.

"You good?" Levi asked.

"Yeah, I guess so." Jackie answered, both trying not to blush due to their respective positions.

"Well, goodnight Jackie, for a few hours at least."

"Yeah. You too, Levi." She then fell asleep, but not before wrapping her arms around him. He was surprised by the embrace, but he did the same as well.

"I hope no harm comes to us later in this night." He said to himself before closing his eyes, letting sleep take over him for a few hours.

It was 4 in the morning.

Levi was the first to wake. He looked at Jackie, who was still blissfully asleep. He smiled, and then lightly nudged her enough to try and wake her up.

She did, and looked at him. "Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Mmhmm. Yeah." She said, smiling.

"Alright. It's time to wake up the others." He said, and she nodded. The two then rose and Jackie walked over to Janna, approaching her. Levi walked over to Star and Marco.

The last time he saw them, they were opposite of each other. Now, the two were closer, hugging each other as if they wouldn't let go of each other. Levi smirked.

"I have got to take a picture of this. They are just so cute together." He said, taking out his phone, and used his camera. He did so, and put his phone back. He then proceeded to nudge them awake.

"Come on, you two, time to wake up." He said.

The two opened their eyes.

"Oh, hey Levi." Star said.

Levi could not contain the smile on his face, as he said, "You two might want to look at each other." The two did so, staring deeply for five seconds, before they realized what position they're in.

They both blushed and let go of each other.

"Please tell me it was you who did this." Marco said, as the two then looked at him.

He laughed. "Sorry, but I didn't do anything about that. That was both of you. You two did that on your own."

They blushed even more thanks to that. Levi laughed a bit harder, but he quickly regained composure. The three then turn to Janna and Jackie.

"You two good?" Levi asked. The two nodded.

"Okay then. So, how do we fix this?" He said aloud the thoughts of everyone present.

"We can't kill them. They're our friends, family, and fellow neighbors." Marco said.

"We can't use magic to fix this either." Star said. They all stood deep in thought.

"A cure. There's a cure for all of them." Janna said. The four turned to her.

"How?" They asked her.

"Glossaryck told me how to make it in case it went horribly wrong... or right. I did so after completing the first ritual. It can be used airborne too." Janna said to them. Levi then walked away from them and towards a window covered with curtains.

"Where is it?" Star asked.

"It's back at my house."

"Well shit." Levi said, having come back from checking outside.

"What? Why's that?" Jackie asked.

"Her house is at the other side. In our way is a swarm of zombies, who can dismantle us in a hurry. Not to mention, there's no way we can find another way, unless..." He turned to Star. He smirked at her. She did as well.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" He asked.

"Yup!" Star cheerily said, and raised her wand in the air.

"Explosive Foxfire Firework Blast!" She chanted. Her wand glowed a bright red, and fireworks unleashed from the wand, blasting the ceiling above, creating a massive hole.

"Not much time, guys. Better take this route." Levi said, creating five platfoms for each of them. "Hop on." Levi got onto one, as the others followed suit. Once they did, he then lifted the platforms up and out of the building.

"A little help, Star?" He asked.

"No problemo, Levi." She said, and used her wand to increase their speed.

As they all quickly headed over to Janna's, one can't help but wonder, how did it all began?

* * *

The previous night...

"Goodnight, Janna." Linna said to her daughter, and kissed her forehead.

"G'night mom." She said, and walked into the room and closed the door. Instead of going to sleep, she sits down on the bed, and waited. She then noticed the hallway lights turn off. She surmised that her mother was now about to go to sleep in her room. She quietly walks over to her stuff, takes the required materials needed, placed them in her bag, and exited via the window.

She headed to the cemetery, to her father's grave. She kneeled down.

"Hey there, old man. I guess I can call you that now since I'm fourteen, eh?" She said smiling down.

"Anyways, just so you know, I wanted to do this. I've been waiting for five years. All because I want you back, even if it's just for a day. There's so many things you've missed out. But I only want to tell you that when you're alive." She reached for the items and equipment needed for the necromancy ritual:

Mermaid bones. Saltwater. Skunk tail. Rabbit's foot. Wolfsbane Bull eyeballs. Human blood. Green food coloring. Horse mane. Royal jelly. Volcanic ash. A large cauldron. A magical reductor, courtesy of Star (somewhat like a boiler, but it instead minimizes liquid volume). A large metal spoon. And lastly, two droppers.

She sprinkles the bones around her and the grave. She then sets up the ritual. She remembers Glossaryck's words.

 _"Be careful, Janna. Every placement of ingredients, every chant, they're all vital to making it right. Do it wrong, and the ritual will be all for naught, it may even possibly be a different result. Do it right... even I don't know what will happen once you use it on whoever it is you intend to use it on. This ritual spell has not been used for a long time, so who knows what the effects on."_

She wipes a bead of sweat from her forehead.

 _'Make sure you do this right, Janna, or else something bad happens.'_ She thought to herself.

She drops in each of the ingredients needed in proper order. She chants the words needed. The cauldron glows green, then red, then black, and then back to red. Steam rises from the heating cauldron. She then uses the reductor on liquid, after placing it into a glass container. The liquid shrinks and decreases in volume. It continues to do so, until all that remains is enough of the liquid to be fit into the dropper. She collects the said liquid.

She places it aside.

 _"Now, to make the cure for whatever the effects of the resulting ritual would be, you simply need to place the same ingredients in a different order, and also in different chants. As I've said before, everything must be exact to make it right. Here, this is what you should do..."_

These were Glossaryck's words for the cure. So she repeated the ritual, following the second instructions this time. This time, the final color of the cure liquid was blue.

She keeps it with her.

"All I need to do now is to just drop the liquid onto the grave." She said to herself. She then looked down at it.

"This is for you, dad."

Almost half an hour later, she left the cemetery, with Glossaryck's final words ringing in her mind:

 _"It isn't instantaneous, the ritual's effect. At most, it will take twelve hours. I hope you know what you are doing, Janna."_

Despite what she had just done, and the conviction that it will be a good thing, she has a small, yet noticable strange feeling within herself that she has made a terrible and horrible mistake.

* * *

Back with our five, they are still in the air, flying through the city, heading to Janna's house. Marco looks down, and the zombies look up. Marco shivers in fear.

"They're... really scary, when you look at them from here." Marco said.

"Yeah. Don't worry, Marco. We'll get them back to normal before first light." Levi said.

They look ahead, with Janna's house almost in plain sight.

They land in front of the door. The zombies notice and charge after them.

Seeing this, Levi called out, "Star!"

"Right! Sticky Honey Shield Swarm!" She said, as her wand glowed and honey shot out of her wand, forming a protective field around the house. The zombies got stuck as they ran.

"That should buy us some time. Now let's go!" Star said, as Janna opened the door and they went in.

"Alright Janna, where's the cure?" Jackie asked.

"It's in my room. Follow me." She said, and headed upstairs, the others following.

"There! On the drawer!"

Star quickly grabbed the vial.

"Got it! Now let's get out of here!" They all went down.

They would've went through the front door, but something, or someone stopped them.

"M-m-mom?" Janna quivered, looking at her mother, who is zombified.

Linna only groaned.

"Please, mom... just, hold on. We'll fix this, we swear!" Janna stated. There was no response from her, with the exception of the door wildly swinging open, with the zombies coming through. They all widened their eyes.

"Damn it! The spell must've worn off!" Star said.

"Through the back door!" Janna said as she ran off, the others following. She opened it, but they were backed into a corner, and the zombies were closing in on them. They fought them off, but they continued to come towards them, limiting their space.

 _'Is this it?'_ Janna thought in despair.

And then, all so suddenly, Marco flung himself towards them.

"MARCO!" They all yelled in shock.

"GO! I'm buying you guys time!" He said. Levi was the first to recover and he led them all out.

"NO! Not until we get Marco!" Star said in desperation as they stopped outside.

"We can't let his sacrifice go in vain! We have to go before-" Levi was cut off as they heard a loud, pained scream. They all turned to the source.

It was Marco, and he was bitten on the shoulder. He held onto it in pain, but not before being crowded by them.

"No... nooo... nooooo... NO! MARCO! I HAVE TO GET HIM! PLEASE!" Star cried, as he transformed into a zombie. Jackie restrained her as she reached out to him.

"We have to go NOW!" Levi said. He shot another concussive smoke blast, creating a black cloud. They all then ran away.

"We have the cure, now, where do we make it airborne?" Jackie asked.

"At the highest point in Echo Creek: The Radio Antenna." Janna said.

"Right. Let's go!" He said as they ran once more.

"Do we have anything that can make it airborne?" Star asked as they got to the base of the antenna station.

"If I can get there, I can be able to use the magic Glossaryck gave me to do so. He gave me a gem that responds only to the words and to the cure." Janna said.

"Alright. We have to protect Janna as we go up." Star instructed. The other two nodded. They begin to scale the tower. And as expected, they show up.

Janna and Jackie stood back-to-back, as did Star and Levi.

Jackie uses her bracelet to turn it into a bat to push them away from them. Janna, meanwhile, punches and kicks them away. As each zombie continues to charge at them, they push them back with twice as strength.

Star and Levi use their magic and energies to fight back. Some of them even fall from the tower. The four kept on doing this as they ascend.

As they near the top, a few zombies remain.

"We're getting close! We can do this! We can-" Star stops in shock as she sees...

"M-M-Marco?" She called out. His hoodie was torn, and so were his pants, although slightly. His eyes glowed green. His skin largely remained the same, except for a light green tone on it.

"Star?" Levi asked as he turned around. He widened his eyes and distanced himself from her as he also fought back against the other zombies.

The now zombified Marco snarls and charges at Star.

"I can't do this! I can't fight you, Marco!" She said as he kept his assault on her while Star continued to dodge.

"I know you're there, Marco! You're my best friend! Please!" Tears were now forming on her eyes again as the assault and dodges continued.

"Star, you have no choice but to try and fight back!" Levi said as he continued to fight.

He could see the hesitation in her eyes as she kept on avoiding his attacks. Star then placed her wand on her hip, and assumes a stance.

"Alright. I'm sorry, Marco, but I have to do this! For you, and everyone else!" She said, and sends a punch to his face. He gets winded, but he recovers quickly and kicks her at her gut, which she successfully avoids. She roundhouse kicks him, hitting his side.

He gets close to her, but Star headbutts him. She sends an uppercut to his chin, and he flies back. Star cautiously walks up to him, anticipating an attack.

He sends a punch on her face, and she winces in pain as she sends back a punch to his chest. She rubs her cheek as she recovers. However, Marco would not let her do so.

He jumps at her, attempting to dropkick her. She avoids it, and now takes out her wand.

"I'm sorry. Disorienting Smoke Cloud!" She said, as a black and orange cloud enveloped Marco. Coughing could be heard from him, but Star would not let him recover. She runs after him and sends a particularly hard punch to his face, knocking him down.

Star stands over him, her wand back on her side, and she crouches down, her fist aimed at him.

"Why? Why did this have to happen?" She said to herself as she raises her fist to knock Marco out.

"S-S-S-Star?" Marco croaked out. Immediately Star lowers her fist.

"Marco?!" She said in shock.

That gave the zombified Marco all the time he needed. He bit her on her neck.

She yells and moans in pain as she looks at him, her eyes dilating.

"STAR!" Levi, Jackie, and Janna called out. The three pushed them all away.

Levi does not give time for Star to transform, as he knocks her and Marco out with a dark sleep cloud. So did everyone else affected.

The sun was almost out.

Levi sighed in relief.

"We're done. Let's keep going." He said. Jackie and Janna did so, but Levi stayed for another few seconds, looking at the unconscious forms of the zombified Star and Marco.

"This will all be over. Don't worry."

He left them to catch up with Janna and Jackie.

They soon arrived at the top.

"Alright, Janna, you ready?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah. Let's do this." Janna said.

She took out the gem and vial, and spoke in a language neither Levi nor Jackie knew, and only to Janna.

As she continued chanting, the gem glowed red, and the liquid in the vial rose from it and was suspended in the air. Her voice increased in intensity as the liquid slowly changed, with the gem levitating itself and approaching the liquid.

Her final chants ended in a shout, and the gem merged with the liquid. The liquid exploded, turning it into a large gas cloud, enveloping the entirety of Echo Creek.

It was just in time for sunrise.

The trio sighed in relief and sat down on the antenna platform.

"It's over." Jackie said.

"Yeah. I'm glad we fixed it. Guys?"

"Yeah, Janna?" The two asked.

"I'm really sorry. I had been so selfish. I wanted my dad alive, but instead I created a nightmare. All of this wouldn't have happened if I wasn't so wanting of talking to my dad one last time. I wouldn't have hurt all of them, especially mom, Star, and Marco." She said as she looked down in sadness, tears threatening to come out of her eyes.

The prince and the skateboarder looked at each other, and then at Janna. They both knew what to do.

Janna felt two pairs of arms wrap around her, and she looked up to see her two best friends hug her. Surprise was evident on her expression.

"It's okay, Janna." They both said. Janna embraced the two, and she cried. They stayed there for almost half an hour after Janna finished, as they admired the view of the city and the sunrise.

"You're both okay!" Levi said as the three saw Star and Marco alive and well.

"Yeah. We're fine." Marco said. He then felt a slap on his face.

"OWWWW!" He yelled. He turned to Star. "What was that for?!" He was then embraced by her.

"Don't you EVER try that stupid stunt again, Marco Diaz!" She said, tightening her embrace on him.

This makes him widen his eyes. "I'll try, Star. For you." He said, reciprocating the embrace with his own.

He felt her smile. "Good. I... I don't know what I'd do."

"These must be your friends, Janna." A new voice entered the scene.

The tomboy froze, having heard the voice before. ' _No way.'_ She thought. _'There was no way he would still be here. I thought the cure would turn everything back to normal! No... I must be unconscious. He can't be alive! Well... there's only one way to find out.'_ She turned around, and she saw him.

Her dad. She gasped.

"DAD!" She ran after him and hugged him.

"Hey there, sweetie. I'm here. Don't worry."

"Does... does mom know?"

"She was the first person who saw me normal again. Needless to say, she... didn't take it that well, but we made up."

"I'm just... I'm just glad you're alive again."

"Janna... what you did..."

"I know... I shouldn't have tried to bring you back. But... I just wanted you back so much, dad."

"Well, I'm alive now, right?"

She smiled as tears formed once more.

"Let's go home." She said.

"I look forward to properly meeting your friends, sweetie." He said and smiled.

Father and daughter walked home hand in hand.

The remaining four watched on, happiness evident in their expressions.

Jackie's, however, morphed into one of sadness, Levi noticed, and slight... jealousy?

"Is there something wrong, Jackie? You seem to be... sad." Levi asked.

She was deep in thought as a myriad of thoughts ran in her mind.

"Jackie?"

This time, she heard him.

"Yeah?"

"I asked, is something wrong?"

She shook her head.

"It's nothing. Just... thinking about something."

"What is it?"

"No... I'm alright."

Levi looked at her, but he decided to let it go for now.

"Okay, if you say so."

All the while, the same figure from before watches all of the events of the previous night. He smirked at the four figures and Janna.

"Impressive."

He leaves through a void portal, as usual, leaving no effect on the sky as the sun shines brightly in Echo Creek.

A nightmare ends today. However, it is only a matter of time before another one happens in the future.

* * *

 **AN: The next one might take a while, what with schoolwork and all those stuff.**

 **Reviews help a lot, so please do. I'll be sure to respond to those reviews.**

 **Anyways, until then, readers.**


	11. Year 1 - Pixtopia

**AN: A relatively short one, and it's another rewrite. Of the four episodes since my last release, I liked Wand to Wand the best. Kinda expected to see Star and Ludo meet again and fight, but then again, it would be a bit too early. Also, I'm curious about the new character introduced in Starstruck. Will Mina be a villain? I mean, I have a theory that she'll be allies with Toffee to get Star back, but when she learns that Star is the intended victim, she goes against him, and she'll go down as a result, probably in a heroic sacrifice of some sort. Also, all of you who followed this fanfic might have noticed that I added the romance genre just recently. I don't think I can hide around the bush that this will eventually be a romance fic as well. However, I intend to make this a slow build-up, as I have so many plans for this fic, and our two main characters after all.**

 **Forgot to add this last time.  
 _Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs. the Forces of Evil._**

 **Pixtopia  
Jackie and Levi head to Pixtopia to settle their magic mirror bill.**

* * *

"We have to make sure he doesn't know this. I'm sure you guys know why I want this to be a secret." Jackie said as she talked to Levi's parents and sister via the magic mirror.

"Right, since we need to make sure it all goes perfect." Corrina Anne said.

"I understand why you need to keep this a secret from him." Victor said.

"Don't worry, Jackie. He won't know." Yelena said.

Jackie smiled. "Thanks, you guys. I'll call you again when the time nears."

With that, Jackie ended the mirror call with them.

"What'cha doing here in my room, Kie?" Levi asked as he came into his room, seeing her just hang up the call.

"Oh, nothing. I just called your parents and sister about something."

"Ahhh, I see. Was it something important?" He asked.

"Well... you can say that's plausible." The skateboarding teenage girl answered.

He looked at her with a questioning gaze, but it softened, eventually shrugging. He walked on and sat on the bed, still looking at her. She stared at him, unwavering.

Almost as soon as they did, they turned away from each other, tinges of red on their cheeks.

"Sorry about that, staring at you." She apologized, still turned away from him.

"No, no, no, I should be the one who is apologizing. I was making you uncomfortable unintentionally. That's one of the last things I want to happen." He spoke back.

They both sighed, eventually turning back towards each other.

"I'm gonna call someone on the mirror." Levi said.

"Oh! Sure, go ahead." Jackie said, moving away from the mirror to give him space. He moved towards it, now standing in front of the mirror.

"Mirror, mirror, call..." He spoke, but was soon interrupted by a smiling blue-skinned humanoid-like fairy. It also had butterfly-like wings.

"A pixie?" They both wondered. The pixie paid no mind to them, continuing to smile at the duo.

"I'm sorry, but it appears that you have exceeded your minutes. Due to that, your mirror service has been temporarily suspended. Please visit the Magic Mirror Telecom Service office in Pixtopie to settle your bills. That is all. This is an automated video message, so do not respond. Good day!" She finished, smiling and giggling at them as the message ended.

"Damn it." He cursed. "I just paid for that a month ago! That was supposed to be for two months!" He paced around, breathing in and out.

"Calm down, Levi. We should just go there, and settle the bill."

"Yeah, I know that, but their service seems to be getting terrible! I mean, I paid two months' worth of call time, and it reached its limit after a month?! Un-freakin'-fair!" He complained, before finally calming down.

"What will you do about it?"

"Well, I've got no other choice." He walked over to his nightstand drawer, taking out the dimensional scissors and his wallet.

"Let's go to Pixtopia."

When they arrived at Pixtopia through the portal, they were greeted by singing pixies. He groaned, hearing the pixies sing. The singing grew louder, and it all came to a head where Levi could not contain his irritation anymore.

"Just shut up!" He yelled at the singing pixies. They all stopped, shocked at his statement.

"Don't worry about him. He's just in a... very painful mood." Jackie explained, and the two continued walking, before Levi stopped. She did so as well.

"Levi? Why'd you stop?" Jackie asked him.

 _'All I want is to get this done. However, I cannot be able to do so if I'm like this. I need to calm down. I'll have to ask her.'_ Levi thought. He then turned to her.

"I'm still... I'm still kinda pissed off. This may sound so sudden, but can you..." He was now blushing, trying to say the words, "... can you just hug me as I walk?"

"You mean... like a piggyback ride? And... I'd..." She trailed off, blushing.

"Yeah, kinda... something like that. You just have to hold me, wrap your arms around my neck and... damn it, I just need to calm down." He said.

"Just... never mind. You don't need to do this, Jackie." He waved off, and turned away from her, and onto the path in front of them.

But the girl shook her head, grabbing his hand and forcing him to turn to her. "No, I'm alright with it." She even smiled a little.

Now, Levi was walking with Jackie on his back, her arms around his neck, and his arms supporting her.

They soon found the place they were looking for. And along with it, Star, Marco, Ferguson, and Alfonzo.

"Star?" He asked. They all turned.

"Levi?" She called back. Jackie drops to the ground on her feet. The two walked over to them.

"Hey there Levi!" Ferguson called out.

"Hi Jackie." Marco greeted to her, in which she smiled and greeted back, which caused Marco to slightly gain a pink tinge on his cheeks.

"What are you guys doing here?" Levi asked them.

"Well, my minutes exceeded, with Marco taking the blame for prank calling some otherdimensional people, and we're here to pay the bill. Marco definitely "Star'd" this up! Now we're mess-up twins!" Star cheerily said, hugging Marco.

"So, how are you going to "Star" this one up, twinsy?" She asked him.

"As I said before Star, I am no twin, and we are not twins! I came here alone in this world! Alone!" He said.

"Anyways, what are you two doing here?" Alfonzo asked.

"Well, pretty much the same thing you guys are here for. I'm going to pay the bills. I'm a bit pissed off though..." He said, before hearing a female pixie come close to him, before looking at her square in the eye, coldly saying, " **Don't you dare.** "

The pixie 'eeped' and quickly left.

"Let's just get going, everyone." Marco said, heading out first into the office. Star, Alfonzo, and Ferguson all came in after. Levi and Jackie were stopped, however, by a pixie guard.

"Only a limit of one group per one transaction allowed." He said. Levi sighed.

"Alright, might as well wait." He took out his cellphone, and began to play. "Oooohh, a Pikachu!"

"Come on Marco, pay the nice pixie." Star said, grinning as she feels Marco is about to mess up once again, thus confirming their status as 'mess-up twins'. The four were all inside, albeit struggling to stand due to the cramped space for their size.

"Um... you guys have anything to pitch in this payment?" Marco asked.

"I've got this jawbreaker." Ferguson said.

"I have a penny from the state fair and a pair of small flashlights." Alfonzo said.

Marco sighed.

"Did you forget to bring money, like I did, Marco?" She asked, giggling.

"No, don't worry Star. As a matter of fact, I brought..."

He reached for his shoes, taking out a sock, and out of it...

"Marco's Emergency Cash Stash!" Some sort of mysterious female voice sang.

From outside, the two heard it. Levi groaned, while Jackie quizzically looked at him.

"This fourth wall breaking has got to stop. I heard that voice from here." Levi noted, as he continued to play his mobile game. "A Ralts, sweet! I've always wanted to get one to evolve to Gardevoir!"

Back with our four, Marco placed the bills on the desk.

He smirked. "This is for the Butterfly account. Keep the change, miss." He even gave a penny. "Here, for a little something extra, for those thimble-sized shoes."

The pixie clerk threw the bills at Marco.

"What?!" Marco exclaims in shock. The pixie clerk only sweetly, rather too sweetly, smiled at them.

"I'm sorry sir, but we only accept gold and jewels. You will all have to work off the bill in the Shard Mines." She explained.

"Shard Mines?" The four questioned.

"Good luck!" She said, before pulling down a rope next to her. A trap door opened from beneath them.

Just before gravity pulled them down, Marco noted, "This is not good." And then they screamed as they plummeted down to the mines. The trapdoor closes, with the entire office looking like nothing had happened.

"Next!" She called out.

Back with our duo, Jackie and Levi calmly waited for them.

"You can go inside now." The guard said to them.

"Really? But... where's Star and the others?" Jackie asked.

"Don't know, and frankly, none of my business. Now get inside and do whatever it is you need." The guard answered, and the two proceeded to walk inside, crouching as they did so.

"Pleasant morning, sir." The pixie clerk greeted.

"Yeah, morning to you too." Levi grumbled, as he took out his wallet, and took out some gold and jewels.

"Should this be enough for my account? Name is 'Levi Yoren'." He asked.

The clerk took them, and counted each. Afterwards, she nodded.

"Yes, this is sufficient for payment." The clerk said, placing them in the cashier near her.

Levi nodded.

"Alright. Now, before me and my best friend here leave, I have two questions."

"Go ahead, sir."

"Alright. First, about a month ago, I paid for two months' worth of minutes. And I learned just earlier that those same minutes have exceeded. Why is that?" He asked, gently placing his closed fist on the desk of the clerk.

"Oh, I do apologize for not notifying you sir, but the payment for a month worth of minutes had increased. It almost doubled, sir. We regret having not notified you earlier."

Levi inwardly fumed. But on the outside, his face was still very calm.

"Alright. I won't press further on that. Second, where is Star Butterfly and her friends?" He asked, voice suddenly growing cold.

"They are at the Shard Mines, currently paying off the bill set onto her."

He sighed. _'Star must've forgot to bring payment.'_

He took out some more gold and jewels.

"That's for the account under 'Star Butterfly', miss. Now, show us how we get to those mines. We're going to free them." He said. Upon hearing that, Jackie widened her eyes.

"Are you fucking insane, Levi?! You're going to risk their lives!" She asked incredulously.

"About saving them, yeah. Better we try than do nothing at all." He answered.

Jackie sighed. "Alright, if that's what you wish. I'm with you all the way."

The pixie clerk sighed. "As you wish, sir." She said, pulling the same rope downward. The trap door opened, and both prince and skateboarder fell.

Down at the mines, only Star, Marco, and Alfonzo remained, with Ferguson being dragged out of the mines courtesy of a few guards. One pixie guard grinned as he watched them work.

It was at that time that the two landed on the ground of the mines.

"Hey, what are you two people doing here?" He asked. The two stood up, dusting themselves off.

"Hey Levi!" Star called out.

"We're here to get our four friends." Levi answered

"And on what grounds do you have the permission to? They have to pay off the bill!"

"He just paid their bill off." Jackie said. That caused all of them to turn to the two.

"You just did that, Levi?" Star asked. He nodded..

"Eh? Really? I better call up the office to make sure." He said, before taking out what looks to be their pixie version of a cellphone and calling someone. Minutes later, he goes back to them.

"Well, you were right. They're free to go." He said, using a key to free them of their chains. He soon left them to their business and to his own.

Star unexpecetedly hugs Levi, who gives the hug in return. "Thanks, Levi. I'll pay you back soon. I owe ya one." She said. He smiled.

"That's alright Star. Where's Ferguson?" Levi asked.

"He was taken by some guards to be taken to the Pixie Empress. We have to save him!" Alfonzo answered. And then he violently coughed, and collapsed.

They all widened their eyes. "Alfonzo!" Marco quickly picked him up.

"What is wrong with Alfonzo?!" Star asked, concerned.

One of the prisoners quipped, "Pixie lung. He's getting a bad case of it."

Levi makes four platforms on the train tracks of the mines.

"Hop on!" He instructed.

And no sooner than they did that the platforms sped off, following the tracks up to the Pixie Castle.

As soon as they got there, they unexpectedly crashed. It was apparent Levi could not control the platforms this time. Looking up, they saw two swords and a chainsaw pointed towards them. Behind them are Ferguson and the Pixie Empress and her servants.

"Hi guys!" Ferguson greeted. He then saw Alfonzo in a bad state. "AL!"

"Hey there... Ferguson." Alfonzo weakly said, coughing. Ferguson quickly went to him and helped him stand up.

"I was just about to get you guys."

He was then hugged by Alfonzo, despite his condition.

"I was so worried." He said.

"Well, turns out they worship me here."

He lets go of Alfonzo, and he walks over to the empress.

"Oh, and guys, this is my girlfriend. That's right, I did! I said 'girlfriend'. For real." He said, holding hands with her.

She giggled. "He calls me 'Sugar Wings'."

"Oh, and I'm so happy you guys are here! You guys are just in time for our wedding!"

Several banners unfurl and drop. Numerous church benches and pixies appeared, and a wedding song played. Soon after, a pastor appeared, with a holy book in hand.

"Now, are you two ready to swear your undying love to each other?" He asked, before being interrupted by Marco.

"Hell no! This is nothing but pure craziness, Ferguson! You're not ready for this kind of commitment! You're only fourteen! Not to mention, you still paint a face on your stomach and make it talk!"

Ferguson frowned, pulled up his shirt, and looked down at the face on his stomach.

"He has a point."

He sighed, pushing his shirt back down. He looked at the empress.

"Empress, you're an amazing flying pixie lady, and you're really cool and all..."

"Not to mention very beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to have you, dear empress." Levi interjected. The empress blushed at that.

"... but I can't marry you. I just did not think this through correctly. And I'm sorry for that. Maybe I might, but, just not today. In a future time, maybe."

The empress smiled, but Levi knew that it was pained behind that expression.

"Guards... kill them." She said, albeit forced, Levi felt. The guards readied their weapons. They all then assumed fighting positions. Star has her wand at the ready, Marco has himself readied in his karate stance, Jackie has two daggers, and Levi has a naginata.

"Ferguson!" Levi called out.

"What is it?"

"Grab Alfonzo and hide!"

Ferguson proceeded to do just that, albeit with great difficulty, hiding Alfonzo somewhere else while passing by the cake.

"Fly free little Ferg!" He said, flicking away the little Ferguson figurine. He walked away, before returning, and grabbing the other figurine. "Eh, might as well get this one." He said nonchalantly.

Now, without warning, all of them went after each other. Star was up against two of them, defending herself with the wand, acting as a sword.

She jumps up, and her wand glows. "Sparkle Glitter Smoke Cloud!" She chanted, and quickly like a bomb, smoke appeared from nowhere, covering them all in thick glittery black smoke. Levi quickly created his mask, and did the same for the other three.

"I can't see!" One of them claims. Levi swings his naginata, and two crash to the wall. Marco then strikes them with kicks, knocking them out. Jackie then knocks a few more of them out with her overpowering them with her daggers. Simply put, they were too much for the pixies to overcome.

"Winter Storm Hyper Blow!" A freezing wind blows out, freezing the downed pixies cold.

"Jackie! Open the portal!" Levi instructed. She took out the scissors and did so. Marco and Ferguson quickly went and picked up Alfonzo, but because he was unconscious, he was basically dead weight, making it tough to pick him up.

"We have to go!" Star said. Jackie quickly heads over to them and helps them pick up Alfonzo, and they quickly passed through the portal.

"No! You can't leave!" The empress exclaims, sword on her right hand.

"Combination: Dark Rainbow Flytrap!" Star and Levi chanted, holding the wand together. A dark-colored rainbow flytrap wall appeared and catches the pursuing empress.

Done with it, Star and Levi walk through the portal, before Ferguson came back halfway through, telling her, "I still think you're cool!" Befoe returning to the portal, and it closes.

She sighs dreamily. "He was out of my league anyway."

However, she thought he was so different unlike her previous ones. There might be something that drew her to him. She may actually have to keep an eye on Earth, and him especially. He did say that he might marry her at a future time.

* * *

They all had landed on Star's bedroom. Star falls down onto her bed, tired.

"That's it, I'm switching service providers!"

"Us too." Levi said, lying down on the floor.

"Yeah, good call. Though I do feel bad."

"About what, Marco?" Jackie asked.

"I think we may have ruined Ferguson's one chance at love. We are mess-up twins." In distress, he also lies down on the bed, with Star next to him.

"Nah, you didn't." Levi looked at Ferguson. "I'm pretty sure that empress likes you a lot, Ferguson. You'll have to keep an eye onto yourself from now on if you want to impress her more." At those words, Ferguson smiled.

"I think you're right." Something in Ferguson changed. He now feels more determined to be better, rather than the person he is at the moment.

Then they all heard groaning, and they turned to the now conscious Alfonzo.

"Al! You alright?" Ferguson asked. Alfonzo nodded, and then shook his head.

"Yes... I think. I don't think I have the pixie lung now." He said, breathing normally now.

"Well, at least you're okay."

He helps him stand up, and they both turned to Star and Marco. "Thanks for the trip, you two." Ferguson thanked.

"It was nothing." Both Star and Marco said.

With that, the two boys left, leaving the four of them in the room.

"Say, your birthday's in about two weeks, right Levi?" Star asked. Levi nodded.

"Your birthday's in two weeks? How come I haven't known yet?" Marco asked.

"Yeah... why are you asking? And Marco, you didn't ask." Behind him, Jackie gestured Star to not say anything about it.

"Oh, nothing. Just asking about it."

* * *

 **AN: Aside from this, I have a one-shot collection up soon. Now, review, and I'll be very happy. Constuctive criticism is accepted. Flames will be extinguished.**

 **Until then.**


	12. Year 1 - Reuniting, Part 1

**AN: Wow I am so sorry. Really am. So much schoolwork to be done. Even though most of the episodes of the show are at most random adventures, I really liked them. Especially Sleepover. Probably the biggest shipping episode yet, on par with the Blood Moon Ball. It just intensifies even more. Starco slightly confirmed? Maybe.**

 **Anyways, this is a two-parter. I want to give more development for Jackie, as I think it'll be interesting to see what she and Janna can be in the show. And Janna's pretty good from what I've seen. This will help. I hope I'll be able to put up part two not for long, but I'd be lying at this point. So forgive me. Anyways, enjoy part one. Remember to review.**

 **Reuniting, Part 1  
On Jackie's 15th birthday, Levi senses her sorrow, and decides to help with her troubles.  
**

* * *

"Happy Birthday Jackie!"

In front of Jackie were Levi, Star, Marco, Janna, and surprisingly enough, Brittney.

"You all did this for me?" She asked.

"Yup! And we have Levi to thank for thinking of this in the first place." Star said.

"I wanted to return the favor of you giving me the best surprise birthday party I had. October 17 this year. I won't ever forget it." He smiled. Flustered, she looked away from them.

"You didn't have to do this, you know." She said. Levi went and hugged her.

"But I wanted to. You're my best friend. It's for everything that we had in our friendship. Just as you did to give me the best, I wanted to do the same. I did."

They pulled away, and he walked over and back and handed her a cake slice.

"So, ready to celebrate?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah..." She trailed off. He was confused at this, but he decided to talk to her about it when the others left.

It was December 7th. More than a month and a half since Levi's 15th birthday. Now it was her 15th birthday. Things were going smoothly since then. It had now also been six months since he stayed on Earth and met her.

They fondly remember their first meeting, and also his birthday as they had fun celebrating hers. On that day, Jackie had Thea take Levi on one of her courier requests as she prepared for the party along with their closest friends, including Levi's parents. She had a blast preparing for it, and so did everyone else.

When he arrived after the job, he was surprised at it, but he was happy that his best friend did it all for him. He didn't even expect it. He received a charm bracelet from her.

Hoping to do the same, he asked the others to help prepare for her birthday. They all happily agreed, Marco because he still does like her, Star because she just wants to help, Janna because she's also her best friend, and Brittney because she wanted to strengthen her friendship with the others and as a favor to him.

Since no more than a few months ago, Brittney has really changed. She went from an arrogant rich snobby girl who hated Star to a girl who's still rich, but now a bit shy about making friends without using her money or popularity. She had rejected the popularity, feeling that it doesn't serve her any purpose. Now, she looks to make true friends with those she feels very close to, especially with Levi, the one who changed everything with her. Although she hasn't really changed her style of clothing, still wearing her usual outfits, with the only difference being she now freely wears glasses from time to time, her personality is much better than before. She's getting kinder and more considerate to everyone. It's still a shock to those who have known her, especially to the other cheerleaders whe's worked with.

Now, she aims to fix all the wrongs she had done as her former self to them, starting with making friends with those people.

"So Brittney, I mean, wow, you've really become a different person. I mean, I thought it was like a one-time thing or dare, but wow it really has stuck." Janna remarked as she sat down with her. Brittney blushed.

"You really think so? I'm really trying to change. I want to be that kind person, like Star, you know? She's always happy, she always brings out the best, and her happiness is so infectious. Like Levi. He may not always be happy, but he just wants to have everyone give their all. He's supportive, he's so friendly, and... he really just..." She trails off.

"Mmmhmm, yeah, I see your point there, Brittney. You sure you don't like him?" Brittney only shakes her head and smiles.

"No. I... already like someone else, even before Levi came in our lives."

"Really now? Who? You can tell me. Come on..." Janna excitedly gushed. Brittney turned away.

"I can't, Janna... at least not yet..."

"Heh, alright, girl. But if you feel that you'll be ready to confess, just let me know, 'kay?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Janna."

"No problem."

With Star and Marco, they went over to the dinner table.

"Gotta admit, we sure outdid ourselves here." Marco said as he and Star sat and ate.

"As I said, I'm good with birthday parties and surprises! Told you it'll come in handy!"

"Never knew it would. First for Levi, and now for Jackie? Who's next?"

"Who knows Marco... it could be you next... and I'll make it the bestest party ever for you!"

That caused Marco to smile. "Thanks Star."

"Hugs?" She held out her arms, putting down her plate on the table, with a smile.

"Hugs." He did the same, accepting her arms and locking in a warm embrace.

All the while, Levi saw all of this. He then saw Jackie sitting alone next to the cake, looking very sad, almost depressive.

"Jackie?" He called out as he approached her. The call took her away from her reverie. She turned to look at him, who then sat next to her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head. "To be honest... no." It looked like she was about to cry as she covered her face with her hands. This surprises him. He then noticed everyone else approach them.

"Is she alright?" Janna asked, concerned for her best friend.

"I honestly don't know. I'm gonna try to just talk this out, alright?"

Janna gave a sad smile and nodded.

"I guess... it's that time."

"What time? What are you talking about?"

"You'll better understand it more when you talk to her. Best you do. Maybe you'll be the one who'll finally help her." Janna turned to the others.

"C'mon everyone, let's leave these two to themselves, especially Jackie." She said, drawing away the others. As they walked away, Janna turned to look at Levi, in which he mouthed a 'thank you' at her.

'It's no problem.' She mouthed back.

He turned back to Jackie, who was now crying. He embraced her from behind.

"We're alone now. I'm here. I'm here. Don't worry." He comfortingly said to her.

"It's... it's... it's been two years now. Two years that they didn't even attend my birthday. Do they... do they even care for me now? Do theu even remember to visit me for just this one day?"

"Of course they do."

She looks from behind, facing him, her expression now of slight anger. "You know something, Levi... I'm just so jealous of you, sometimes." He looked at her in surprise, eyes widened.

"Jealous? Why? What made this?"

"Everytime. I see it everytime. You and your parents. You love each other so much, it's beginning to be too much even for me. I want that. I want the love my parents had for me back then now. When I had planned for your birthday, I was just so happy for you. You still have your parents. Me? I don't know anymore." From her look of anger it morphed back into total sadness.

It only made him embrace her tighter, and she then wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey. Hey, you know I'm still here. My parents love you like you're their own too. And have you forgotten the past six months since the beginning of our friendship? We are inseparable. It grew so much now since then. And I know we're bound to get stronger." The tears returned from her reddened eyes. She sniffled

"I know that. But it hurts, goddamn it, it hurts so much! To see you with your parents... still there... why? Why haven't they showed?! I put this cool exterior just to hide the fact that I have been living alone the past two years now! Janna was there for me most of the time, yeah, but it isn't enough! I don't want anyone to know even more than what I had let on! I had been hiding this for so long now! I want to be loved like a daughter from my real parents! To feel like you're so alone... for so long... it's... it's... Levi! Please!" The crying increased. Seeing her like this broke his heart so much. He didn't want to see his best friend cry, especially on a special day like this.

Especially on her birthday.

He rests his head on hers, cradling her form. A single tear escaped from his left eye, closing both.

"Jackie... don't cry. I hate to see you cry."

The others sadly looked on.

"Will she be alright?" Brittney asked in concern, turning to Janna, as the others did. She looked down.

"I don't know. I honestly have no idea how this will pan out."

The cries turned to quiet breaths. The tears slowed to a stop. The teary eyes closed. He looks down. She has fallen asleep in her sorrow, her sad expression changed into that of a happy one as she snuggled closer to him. He closes his eyes.

 _'Wait... I think I know a way.'_ He thought.

He walks up to her room, carrying her bridal style so as to be careful not to hurt her, and lays her down on the bed. He smiles at her sleeping form and rests his palm on her forehead.

"Don't worry, Jackie. I'm gonna get your parents back." He kisses her forehead and walks back down. Only Janna was there.

 _'I guess the others must've left already.'_

"Hey, Janna." He called out.

"Hm?"

"Do you know where Jackie's parents live?"

"Based on the last visit by her mom and dad, they live separately. Her mom lives in Seattle. Her dad lives in Charlotte."

"Wow, that's like... the opposite ends of America. How the heck did you know this? I didn't even expect you to know."

"There's a reason why I was able to steal Marco's house keys consistently, you know. Of course I didn't steal their ID cards or anything, but I merely just took a bit of info and kept it in case."

"Names?"

"Anna-Marie Thomas (neé Parker) and Samuel Thomas."

"Alright. I think I got what I need for now. Thanks, Janna."

"Anything for Jackie, man. If it helps her, then I'm here to help."

He smiles.

"I'll take her with me to see them, whether by plane or by train. Don't care if they think we're underage, I'm a freaking prince for Valoran's sake! More than enough qualifications!" He said aloud. Janna laughed at that.

"Good luck, Levi."

He smiles. Janna leaves. He then walks up to his room and towards the magic mirror.

"Mirror mirror, call mom and dad."

Sometime later, Jackie woke up, not expecting that she was lying on her bed.

 _'Who... who took me up here? Was it Levi?'_ She thought.

"I see you're awake." She heard from the doorway. She turned and saw him.

"Did you take me up here? And did the others see us?" She asked, somewhat embarrassed, remembering what had happened earlier.

"Yes and yes, though frankly, Janna helped keep them away from us."

She turned away from him and towards the window, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." She apologized.

"Don't be. I think I understand how you feel."

"How?"

"Like you, I've lost a special familial love. My brother. He died when I was eight. But we were the closest of brothers. I felt the emptiness he left when he died. I still do. Remember the guitar?"

She nodded. She did not notice nim walking closer to her.

"That was a memento from him to me. He promised me that I'll be given his guitar if he died. He taught me on how to use it. But whereas I can never get him back, you can still get your parents."

At this point he was behind her. He gripped her shoulders, turning her to face him. She shrieked in surprise as she looked at him. They were so close their noses almost touched. She blushed at the close proximity they had. He smiled.

"I know how to get to your parents. I booked us a flight to Seattle for tomorrow at nine. We're seeing your mom. Then after two days, we get on a flight to Charlotte to see your dad. I've got the tickets to both."

She widened her eyes.

"Are you serious?! Really?!"

He only nodded.

She hugged him. Hard. He did not anticipate it, nor the force in which she applied, so they fell to the floor, with her on top of him arms locking him. Her head was on his chest.

"You idiot... you stupid idiot..."

"I just really wanted to-"

"Thank you... damn it, thank you so much. You... you just gave me a lot of hope."

"Any... anything to help, Jackie." He said, blushing at the contact.

 _'Too close!'_

She lets go. They stand up.

"Well, best pack your bags for the week. We leave early in the morning." He said to her.

"Got it." He walked towards the door and out of it.

"Levi, wait."

"Hm?" He turns to her, only to be greeted with a peck on the cheek. He looked back at a smiling Jackie.

"Thanks... really. I just... well, better get to packing." She gently closed the door.

 _'The second time this happened... aargh, pull yourself together you idiot!'_ He thought as he went back to his room.

The next day, they woke up early. They prepared themselves.

 _'Am I prepared for this? What will I feel when I see them again? What will THEY feel when they see me again? Did Levi really do this for me?'_ Jackie worriedly thought as she changed clothes.

 _'This will be the first time I'm going to a different place aside from here. It's risky, but remember Levi, you're doing this for Jackie.'_ Levi thought as he changed clothes.

Once done, they walked out of their room, bags in hand. With Levi were the plane tickets to Seattle.

"Good morning Jackie. Ready to go?" He asked, smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Well, as ready as I'll ever be, Levi. I still can't believe you did this for me."

"You're my best friend. I want to do this. This is for you. You've been without your parents for so long."

She could do nothing but smile at him.

"Thanks. For everything. Not just this, you know. You've really helped me out with a lot."

He hugs her.

"You too, Jackie. Thank you as well."

The two left her house, and Echo Creek, waved goodbye by Star, Marco, and Janna, now heading to Seattle, prepared for what was about to come.


	13. Year 1 - Reuniting, Part 2

**Reuniting, Part 2**  
 **Now on their way, the two set off to find Jackie's parents, though it will not be all smiles and hugs once the reunion sets in.**

* * *

"You look nervous." Levi said, looking at her. They were now on a plane heading to Seattle, with Jackie sitting on the window seat and him next to her.

"Who wouldn't be? It's my parents for God's sake. How will they react? How will I react? I mean, I'm a bit wary now since I don't know how they'll feel." She told him.

"Try not to think of it too much, Kie. I'm sure they'll react finely. Ah! I think I know a way to lift your spirits." He reached into his bag and took out a bottle. He handed it to her.

"Mango juice. I know it's your favorite." She took it, opened it, and drank from it. She smiled as she gave it back to him.

"Thanks, Levi." She turned back to him and leaned more towards him, her head resting on his shoulder. He smiled.

"No problem, Kie." He rested his head on hers, one of his arms resting on her shoulders. They both fell asleep.

It would be a few hours more until they woke up, the plane about to land on the airport.

"We're here." Levi said, waking her up. She yawned.

"What time is it?"

"It's eleven." She stood up, as did he.

"Come on, then. Let's go." They took their bags and walked out of the plane, leaving the airport altogether. They took a taxi.

"Where to, you two?" The driver asked them.

"Lake City, sir." Levi said to him. The driver nodded and drove off. To pass the time, they looked out the window of the car and saw the sights of the city, including the Space Needle and the KeyArena.

"You ever been here?" He asked her. She shook her head.

"Nope. Though it looks like a really nice city. You think we can go around just to experience what it's like to be in Seattle?" She asked. He smiled.

"Of course. Same thing we'll do in Charlotte." And they continued going through the city.

"Stop right here, sir." Levi instructed. The taxi stopped.

"That'll be thirteen-twenty eight, you two." They paid him the fare and exited the car with their bags.

"Have fun being in Seattle you two." The driver said before he drove off.

They looked at the house. It had yellow walls, two floors, a wide front yard, and a blue sedan in front of it. They walked to the front door.

"Ready, Jackie?" He asked her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She answered him.

 _'Here goes nothing.'_ They both thought. Levi pressed the doorbell. They waited for a few seconds before they heard a feminine voice.

"... probably just the bill... hold on, I'm coming!" She told them. Almost immediately the door opened. There the two saw her.

On a typical day, she was only wearing a shirt, shorts, and slippers. She had flowing blonde hair and just like Jackie, she had a strak of sea green on her hair. Her eyes were heterochromic, with her left being blue, and the right being sea green. Those same eyes stared into the two's own. Even in her age, Anna-Marie Thomas was still a beautiful woman.

For a time, she didn't recognize her, and she strangely looked at the two, as if they were strangers to her. Well, he was, but she was definitely not. "Who are you two? And what are you doing here in the first place?" She asked.

For a moment the two looked at her in awe of her motherly beauty. And then Levi spoke, "Wow, Jackie. You really took after your mother well."

 _'Jackie? My... daughter? Is it really...'_ Anna-Marie thought.

Jackie's lips were quivering, and tears threatened to spill out. She was finally meeting her mother again, after two years without ever knowing what happened to her or her dad. Inside, she was shocked because this was indeed happening, elated because she finally saw her again, and tearful, because... well it should be obvious. Levi comfortingly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's alright, Jackie. Let it sink in and out." He told her. She smiled at him, tears and all, and turned back to her, still shaking.

She stuttered. "M-m-m-m-mom? Is it... is it... is it really you?"

Anna-Marie covered her mouth in horror.

 _'It is her... oh gods...'_

"Jackie?" She asked back. In an instant, the two hugged. The prince only looked on happily as the first part of his plan was partially complete.

 _'So far, so good. I'm glad she has her mom back. She has not had a real chance at being happy since I got here, and I hope this puts her back on track.'_ He thought. Mother and daughter pulled away.

"It's been so long, Jackie. So long since I've been with you. I missed you."

"Me too, mom."

She smiled at her and then turned to Levi. "And who's he, Jackie? Your friend?" Levi smiled at her and bowed.

"Levi Yoren. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Thomas." Both didn't notice, but she stiffened upon hearing his words. She eased herself immediately after, hoping that they didn't notice, which they didn't.

"Well, I can only guess that it's been some journey you had, so come in!" She led them inside and closed the door.

"I hope you're not going to be too hard on him because he's a boy, mom. He's really helped me since he came."

Anna-Marie laughed. "I'll try, Jackie. How's Janna? And how's Marco?" She asked.

"They're both doing great. Marco especially, since he gained a best friend." She said to her.

"Has he finally asked you out yet?"

Jackie blushed. "Mom! You can't just be asking me those kinds of questions!"

Anna-Marie laughed. They sat down at the dining room.

"I know, dearie, it's just that it's been so long now. How have you been?"

"It's been great these past few months. I've had a lot of fun with Levi, Janna, Marco, and Star, his best friend. Levi has really helped me a lot too. He's my housemate."

Her mom then grew suspicious. Levi's expression turned to worry."Jackie?"

"Yeah, mom?"

'Exactly who is Levi?"

He then looked at her, giving a look as if to say, "What do I say?" Jackie looked back to him, with her eyes telling him, "I got this. Don't worry." Levi only nodded. With that, she turned to her mother.

"He's a foreign exchange student. His parents homeschooled him. They deemed it best that he be enrolled back at home. And they picked me to be his housemate."

"And are you alright with it, boy?" She asked Levi, her eyes now on him.

"Of course, ma'am. Jackie's really been a help to me. She's helped me adjust to the life there. I hadn't really had much friends until I met my classmates at Echo Creek. Now, I can say that I've developed friendships with everyone at my class. As I've said, she's been a big help. And of course, I helped her too."

She continued to look at him, seeing if there's truth to his words. Finally, she smiled.

"Alright. If what you say is true, and seeing how my daughter trusts you a lot, then I can trust you too." She said. Levi smiled.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"You don't need to be so formal with me, Levi. You can call me Anna-Marie, or Anna, for short."

"Sorry, miss Anna. It's a force of habit for me. It's what my parents taught me after all, to always be polite and respectful."

She turned away from the two and headed into the kitchen, before saying, "You have good parents, kiddo. They raised you well."

With her gone for now, the skateboarder and the prince sighed in relief.

"Safe to say, I think I had a good impression on your mom, Jackie."

"You said it. But... was all of that true?"

"The words I said to your mom? Of course. Growing up as royalty, I hadn't gotten many friends who stuck, other than Thea. There were some, but they moved away. Thea's the only one who's stayed because of her father's job. But I'm glad she stuck out with me. Oh, and of course I could never forget about Star. Now, there's you guys. I'm glad you guys really warmed up to me. Since I told you about my heritage, I thought you guys wouldn't exactly be accepting of me. But you guys accepted me despite that. Safe to say, I'm better now."

Jackie smiled at his genuine words. "We'll always be friends, Levi. No matter who you are, I'd always accept you."

Before Levi could thank her, Anna returned with food. She set them on the table.

"Let's eat, everyone!"

Hours have passed since the two arrived. They went outing to some of the landmarks in the city.

At one such landmark, while Jackie was temporarily away, Levi asked Anna, "Hey, um... Anna?"

"Yes, Levi?"

"How is your relationship with your husband?" The question made her pause.

"It... hasn't exactly been the best of terms."

"I see. Well, I was just curious."

"Is there something more to that, Levi?"

He shook his head. "No." He said. _'At least not right now.'_

Jackie returned, having bought drinks.

"Here's one each for the two of you." She handed the drinks to them. They continued going around, bonding as if like they were family. Eventually they returned back to Anna's home.

It was now night.

"I hope you two don't mind. This house only has two bedrooms. I hope you two can share." Anna said to them. They were at the second bedroom, with their stuff.

"That's alright, mom." Jackie said. Anna smiled and left them to their own.

"And only one bed." Levi noted. "Maybe I should sleep on the floor." He added.

"No, it's fine, Levi. We can share." She said. He looked at her with surprise.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She shrugged her shoulders.

"We've been housemates and roomates before, Levi. I'm sure we can get accustomed here as well." She explained. Levi chuckled.

"Whatever you say, Jackie." He said, and the two changed clothes into their sleepwear. They looked away from one another as they did. They then lied down on the bed.

"This feels... strange. Stranger than the previous times." Levi said.

"Who's one to judge? Come on, Levi, we've done this a few times before." She said to him, turning to his body.

"Well, I guess if you put it that way..."

She smiled. "Just don't think of that right now. Let's go to sleep."

He smiled too. "Alright. Goodnight, Jackie."

"Goodnight, Levi."

They both went into the peaceful bliss of sleep.

Two days passed.

"Remind me again why we're heading to Charlotte, baby. I mean, I liked that Levi was able to book tickets already beforehand, but I don't understand." Anna asked Jackie. They were now on the flight to Charlotte.

"Oh, it's a surprise, mom. You'll see." She said.

Meanwhile, Levi was thinking to himself.

 _'When I first checked information on her parents, it said that they lived in separate places. This must've meant that something happened a long time before I arrived. Jackie told me that her mom's last visit was back at January this year. Her dad's was last March. Keeping these in mind, and with my suspicions... this will not be good.'_ He thought in realization and slight despair. _'However... I can't be too conclusive. I still need to know a bit more about them.'_

* * *

"Knock, knock... is anyone home?" Levi asked aloud. They were now at Samuel's house. No answer.

"Is it really here, Levi? Is this the place?" Jackie asked. He nodded.

"I'm sure." Anna could only look at the two in confusion. Levi tried again, knocking on the door.

The door opened. It revealed a man of average height, at least an inch or two taller than Levi, who wore only simple clothing. His eyes were light green. When he saw Levi, he felt confused. When he saw Jackie, he felt shock and regret upon recognizing his daughter. When he saw Anna... he felt coldness. He decided to address Levi first.

"Exactly who are you?" He asked. Levi held out his hand.

"Levi Yoren. Pleased to meet you, Samuel Thomas." He said.

"How do you know my name?"

"From your daughter, Jackie." He answered. _'Technically not, but this is best.'_ He added in his thoughts.

"Jackie..." He trailed off, now looking at her.

She shyly smiled. "H-hey, dad."

He sighed and then warmly smiled. "Jackie... I missed you. Can you give your old man a hug?" He asked, to which she immediately did.

Anna only looked on neutrally as she felt nothing for him.

"So... this is where you live." She said to him. Taking notice of her, he ended his embrace on his daughter and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Yes... this is my house. I see that you went with my daughter to visit me."

"I have, but only because one, I didn't know we'd be seeing you, and two, because Jackie told me it was a surprise."

"Well maybe it was a mistake for you to come with them."

"If I knew, I would not have. However, this is my daughter, and I would have been worried of her safety, despite Levi being with her."

"You should've trusted him. Obviously you might not have when you went with them."

"You say that, when you only met him just minutes ago? And did you already forget? I just told you why I went!"

"Well maybe you should've went with your doubts! Like how you doubted us!"

"As if you can say that! What happened to your girl, huh?!"

"I could ask you the same thing, woman!"

Before tensions could get even more heated, Levi immediately went in-between the mother and father duo, stopping them.

"C'mon, you two just saw each other again. Can we at least try to get along?"

He asked as they went inside. They sat down.

The two only continued to stared heatedly towards one another. Levi sighed. Before he was about to speak, he looked at Jackie, an almost shocked look on her face. He went over to her, and held her. He turned to the two parents.

"Guys... come on. For Jackie... get along for Jackie... please?" He asked.

They turned to her. They hesitated. They finally spoke.

"I'm sorry Levi. But I can't. I can never be able to get along with this man." Anna answered.

"I don't agree with her most of the time, but for this one, she's right." Samuel answered.

Jackie shook. Not with fear or sadness, but anger.

"Jackie..." Levi reasoned. She turned to him, cold fury written all over her body.

"No. Not this time." She simply said. She turned to the two, and simply asked, "When?"

"Jackie, what are you talking abou-" Anna said, only to be cut off by her.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, mother. When did you two get divorced?" She asked, with more coldness into her tone. When they heard the last word, they both flinched.

"Two years and two months ago." It was Samuel who answered between the two.

"Why?" Jackie asked.

"You might have noticed before, but we've really had problems. We couldn't get along as much as we did before." Anna said.

"We've fought more. We've hid more from each other. And... it all came to a head one day." Samuel continued.

"We found out that... we cheated on each other."

"Those days... when you told me, at separate days to never tell... was it... that?" She asked, interrupting them. The two parents looked ashamed.

"Yes. At that point, we both agreed to end our marriage."

"What happened to your repsective others now?" Levi asked.

"We broke up." They both said at the same time and then turned to each other, surprised.

Jackie was shaking violently now. She felt nothing but pain, sadness, anger, and despair.

"Why?! Why didn't you ever tell me that you guys did?! You two divorced and yet you never told me!"

"I'm sorry Jackie, but we tried to spare you the pain-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! Don't give me that bullshit! I would've understood that you two had problems, but nooolo, you decided to just end your marriage without telling me! You didn't tell me because you two wanted to 'spare me the pain' of you two separating?!"

They tried to speak, but she held her hand up. "No, don't explain. Let me talk."

Thankfully, they followed what she said. She began, "Don't you think that I already was because I began to be alone all of a sudden without you two?! That I thought that it was my fault why you two never visited me together now?! Or that you two stopped?! That I blamed myself everyday for whatever it was that happened between you two?! That I felt that pain so much that I cried every now and then because of my nightmares and my overthinking about that?!"

The sad and angry tears were flowing now. Levi sadly looked on.

"You never considered my feelings into this matter. And what happened? You fucking broke up with the ones you cheated on with anyway! In a way, it was all for nothing! NOTHING!"

The two looked ashamed.

"I felt so alone. You two may have visited me every once in a while, you two may have given me money to live by every month, heck even with extra sometimes, but you two just took away what I want the most! You made me lack the one thing I just want! Your love! I missed the days that you two would greet me 'good morning', that you'd kiss me on the cheek when I get home. You now missed my third birthday in a row. What, were you so busy that you two fucking forget your own daughter's birthday _again_?!"

"I was lucky that Levi helped turn around my lonely life now. I met his parents, his sister, and it was as if I really felt like I was a part of his family. But I still missed you. I STILL MISSED YOU DAMN IT! Now, seeing you two just argue..."

She calmed down.

"Damn it... two years... I never felt the love you two have for me anymore because you two separated. When I went to see you mom in Seattle, I was filled with hope. Now... I feel like I want to leave and never return because it's clear to me that you two will never love each other again. Don't try to make amends with me. You've abandoned me for two shitty years, even though I had help. That is unforgivable to me. I just..."

She turned to see Levi, who had a forlorn expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Levi. I have to go. I can't... I can't take it anymore." She immediately ran away crying. From her parents, from him, from the house, from everything that reminded her of everything about her parents.

"Jackie, wait!" He called out but it was too late. He sadly looked down but then quickly turned to the former husband and wife.

"You hurt my best friend in the worst possible way." Levi then gave Anna a ticket. However, he didn't look angered. He only gave her a look of sympathy.

"Here's a ticket for the flight back to Seattle. You know where to go anyway." He said and then ran after Jackie, calling out her name. The two parents could only look out the doorway with abject hurt and sadness.

 _'She's right.'_

* * *

"Jackie! Jackie! Where are you?" He called out to her.

"Leave me alone, Levi!" She said from the distance.

He followed the voice and found her lying down on the grass underneath a forest of trees. He lay down next to her, holding her hand. They looked up to the sky.

"Jackie..."

"Just leave me alone."

"You know I can't do that. You're my best friend."

"I guess I can't convince you to leave, can I?"

Levi smiled. "Nope. I'm your best friend. If you're miserable, then I'll be miserable too."

She laughed a bit. However she returned to her depressed state.

"I'm sorry, for telling all those stuff."

"I think I understand. No parents for two years takes a lot from you. I just didn't expect this."

"Well what did you expect? They broke up, only to break up with the one they cheated with as well. Obviously I'm hurt because I want them to be happy even without me. But, did they even consider who'd get custody of me, or did they decide not to put me in?"

"I don't know, Jackie. But your parents still love you, you know."

"I don't know if I can say the same now."

"They still do, even if you doubt it."

They basked in the silence of the forest of trees.

After a while, they decided to return, where Jackie's parents were waiting for her.

"You came back." They said.

She nodded. "Yeah. I did. Listen. Maybe you guys can still make amends with me, but it's clear to me that neither of you will return to Echo Creek. That's alright."

"We're sorry, Jackie."

"I know. And it's so close to Christmas now. Will you be able to come home for it?"

"Sorry, Jackie, but I can't. How about I'll try to give you a gift instead?"

"Same here. I'm sorry but I can't go either. But I'll try to give you a gift."

Jackie sighed, smiled, and shrugged. "Okay. I guess that can do since you won't be able to go." She said.

Levi smiled. "Don't worry you two. I'll keep her safe. I promise on that." He said to them.

"Make sure. She's our daughter." Anna said.

"I guess it's time for us to go." Jackie then hugged the two. The two embraced her.

"We love you, Jackie." They said.

The skateboarder girl and the prince were now gone, back on their way to Echo Creek.

"Are you sure about trusting someone you only met a few days ago, Anna?" Samuel asked.

"If they've been that close, and he always looks out for her, then I'm sure about trusting Levi." Anna answered. Samuel smiled.

"Then I'll trust him as well."

* * *

 **AN: I'm still alive, don't worry. This marks the end of the first calendar year of this story timeline. Now, one thing to say... holy crap what an episode the winter finale was. This pretty much changes a lot of my plans. Especially with Jackie and Marco being (possibly... okay, more than possibly) together.**

 **Back with my story, I hope I made this as emotional as I could. Jackie's an interesting character for me since her development in season 2 and even before that. Of course, even with her growth, there's still a lot of room for more development in writing her character. This aspect of hers is one, about her parents. Because the only parental figures shown in the cartoon are Star and Marco's parents, this leaves a lot of speculation for other characters'. With Jackie as a main, this is vital. Now, I know there might be complaints about how I didn't handle well about how divorces work, with the custody and all, but come on, this was needed. Plus, it's vital for Jackie not to have had either of her parents with her before she met Levi. She'd obviously feel so much anger because the pain and abandonment she experienced was worthless and unneeded. Thus why the reunion didn't exactly end on a high note.**

 **As I continued writing this one, I eventually removed the describing aspects of the places they visited I wrote in at first (like in Charlotte, for example), with the exception of the beginning. I realized how unnecessary it was, and that it might've went on too long.**

 **Now, what's next for Levi and Jackie now that the first calendar year's over and they're now going into the second year? Well, obviously a lot. From battling Lynx again, to the Blood Moon Ball, to another crossover event and more.**

 **Please review. I'll do my best to respond to them. And thank you to those who did review. It's great to hear the positive things that have been said about this fic.**

 **Thanks for reading! Until then, readers.**


	14. Year 2 - The Blood Moon Ball

**The Blood Moon Ball  
** **Levi learns of the coming of the Blood Moon Ball from his old friend Tom. Suspicious of Tom's change of heart, he decides to accept his invitation to attend the Ball, asking Jackie out as his date in the process.**

* * *

The day was January 13, 2016. The previous year had now passed, 12 days ago, and it was now time to start another year

From the sky, in an eerie glow, the moon turned red. How the moon is up even though it's day, we will never know.

Down below, flames rose from beneath the ground. A silhouette of a carriage rose from it. The fire died down, leaving the unscathed carriage on one of the parking areas (whose horse is a freaking skeleton, by the way). The door opened, and out came a purple-skinned boy looking no older than about fourteen/fifteen. He looked at the school with interest, his three-eye sungalsses reflecting the light.

This was Tom. Yes, _that_ Tom.

 _'So this is where Star goes to school.'_ He thought. He walked, each step leaving a fire imprint on the ground. Oskar, whose car was parked next to the carriage, turned and calmly spoke, "You're parked on the handi-"

Although it had no eyes, the keytarist definitely felt the intense glare the skeleton horse was giving him. Wisely, he shut up and resumed playing his keytar.

 _'Strange. And they say I'm an eccentric one. Then again...'_ He thought.

As Tom walked, he had caught the attention of almost every student in school. He merely passed by them, paying no mind to the various students staring at him. That included Janna and Jackie, mesmerized as they rode on Jackie's skateboard. For a moment it seemed as though, despite the new arrival, it didn't hinder her from skateboarding at all.

That was until they crashed onto Levi.

He didn't bother to look up at the demon as he was too busy playing on his phone. As one could expect, they fell to the floor hard.

"Sorry, Levi." Jackie said, groaning in slight pain on her back.

"No, it's also my fault. I didn't look what was in front of me." He said. Janna just groaned, though more on annoyance than pain.

"Ugh... who was that guy?" She asked. Levi looked in confusion.

"Did someone pass by?"

"Some guy who leaves behind fire every step. He's also wearing sunglasses, but it's strange because it's meant for three eyes." Jackie explained. His face turned from confusion to coldness.

"Of course. Tom."

"I take it you know him." Janna noted.

"Know him? He's Star's demon ex-boyfriend!"

At that they stared at him in surprise. "STAR HAD A BOYFRIEND?!"

He shushed them. "Not so loud, you two!" They immediately apologized. He looked at the trail of fire leading to Star's classroom.

 _'I wonder why he's here. It's been sometime now since they broke up, so why now all of a sudden?'_ He thought, questioning himself. Almost immediately, he might have found his answer...

...in the form of the Mewnian princess forcefully dragging the demon prince away by the arm from the school and to the carriage.

The trio looked at each other. They made a run for it.

"Nope, nope, nope, NOPE! Listen, no matter what, you need to leave, pronto. Take your carriage, fire, and dead horse and go back to the underworld!" She rebuked, throwing all his stuff back in the carriage.

"Wait... I'm dead?" The skeleton horse asked, confused.

"No, you're not dead. You're undead." Levi said, coming in with the two girls.

"Un... dead?" It asked, still confused.

"You'll get it soon enough, skele-horse." Janna said. The horse lowered its head down in sadness.

"Levi? You study here too?" Tom asked, surprised to see his former old friend.

"Yeah, I do. Now... what the hell are you doing here all of a sudden?" He asked back. Inwardly, Janna snickered.

"Well, I'm glad you asked. I'm-" Tom then noticed Star walking away. He sighed.

"Oh, come on, Starship!" He used his flames to sweep her off of her feet and bring her back to him on his arms.

"It's the Blood Moon Ball! It only happens once every 667 years, you know."

Star backflipped off of his arms and angrily stared him down.

"We _broke up_! Period!" She said, her anger intensified.

"I'm guessing they had a bad break-up." Janna whispered to the two friends.

Levi sighed. "Yeah. It's more of Tom's fault, though."

Tom sighed. "I know, I know, I know, Star. But I've mellowed out now."

Star skeptically looked at him. So did the others.

"I hired a life coach, Brian," He pulled him into their view. "Hey." He said, waving at them. The other three introduced themselves to him before he was pushed off. "He's an awesome guy. I also got a bunny, a happy one," He showed a pink fluffy bunny. "and I've been anger-free for 53 days!" On his shirt was a button that confirmed what he said.

"That doesn't sound much for you, but at least you're doing right." Levi commented. Tom frowned at him.

"Gee, thanks for undermining my progress, you... you... you... whatever." Tom sarcastically quipped.

"53?" Star asked.

"Here's the bunny. Pet him. He's adorable. Don't you want to pet him?" He said. The bunny winked at Star.

"Well... he sure is cute." She said. Before she could, Janna and Jackie cut her off and pet it themselves.

"Where'd you get him?" Jackie asked, ruffling its fur.

"Courtesy of Brian. As I said, he's an awesome guy." Tom answered.

"No need to thank me. I'm just doing what I can to help him." Brian said.

Before any more words could be said...

"Hi-yaahhhh!"

All so suddenly, Marco appeared out of nowhere... and chopped of Tom's hand. They all gasped. Tom shrieked in pain.

"Back off, demon!" Marco said.

"Marco!" Star and Levi yelled.

Tom held his arm. "Aaargh, you...!" His eyes then glowed red. He growled.

"Oh no." Star said. Levi's arms exhibited the white markings.

Brian quickly walked over to the demon prince. He had him walk in circles as he told him to "walk it out and talk it out, walk it out and talk it out..." however he could not stop his head (and his heated glare) from staying fixated on the safe kid.

Marco still assumed a stance in case.

"Marco, you better run." Star warned. Luckily enough, Tom calmed down.

"Oh-ho-ho no-no-no-no-no!" He laughed, his eyes having lost its glow. He sighed, having stopped walking. "No, no. That's why I got my support! Got the angries out!" He explained.

His dismembered hand, which had been unmoving since it got chopped off, picked up the bunny and levitated back to his wrist, almost as if it wasn't affected by anything at all. Surprisingly, the bunny had been unfazed.

"Everything is... phew! It's all under control now." He said, petting the bunny rather too rigorously, that its fur became more poofy.

"Now it's even cuter." Janna quipped, petting the bunny herself.

"Marco, don't. This... is Tom." She said, stopping him.

"Demon ex-boyfriend Tom?" He asked.

"The one and the same." Levi said.

Tom walked up to him, offering his hand. He accepted it, making a handshake. "Well, it's, um, nice to meet you, Marco. I guess."

"Whaaaat is he doing here all of a sudden?" He asked again.

"He's taking me to the Blood Moon Ball." Star explained.

Marco pointedly looked at her. "Star... never go with a predator to a second location." The other two girls were taken aback by this.

"Marco... you do know that's not how it will work with Tom, right? He may be bad, but he's not going to cross the line." Levi advised. _'Is he?'_ Still, despite his own words, he doubted himself.

Tom simply ignored Marco's words, giving the bunny back to Brian before turning to walk towards Star.

"Look, Star... I understand that you're mad. You think that I'm a total jerk..."

"Jerk with a heart of a jerk, if I may add." Levi quipped.

"...I get it. Yeah, little old me, demon Tom, finally understanding. But I've changed, and for the better." He pointed at her headband. "Remember Star, I'm not the only one with horns." He finished. Star smiled. Tom walked back to his carriage.

"Alright, no pressure. If you decide to go..." He handed her a small black bell. "... just ring this bell." He then turned to Levi. "You too, if you want to go, but you need to bring a partner." He also gave him a bell. He entered the carriage, and it engulfed itself in flames.

"Oops." He said, laughing. "Almost forgot." His hand came out of the fire and made a small window. He handed the two small black hammers. "Almost forgot the hammer. I hope I see you two there, especially you, Star." The fire and carriage disappeared.

Levi and Jackie looked at each other in worry.

"You two lovebirds know what to do. I'm outta here." Janna said, leaving. The two immediately blushed deeply.

"We're not lovebirds, Janna!" They both said. They noticed the other two gone already. With that, Levi sighed.

"She does have a point. Jackie?"

"Yes?"

"Will you be my date to the Blood Moon Ball? I swear it'll just be a friendly date."

The smile was slowly creeping onto her face. She had her answer.

"Sure. I'd love to."

* * *

Hours later, at Jackie's house...

"Levi?"

"Yes?"

"I knew what I said, but are you sure we're not making a mistake going there? I mean, the 'Blood Moon Ball?' It's a bit suspicious to me."

The two were changing into formal clothes for the ball. Strange how their changing rooms were close to one another.

"It was suspicious to me already. But it's not the event I have my suspicions on."

"Then what is it?"

"It's about Tom. I swear to you, the guy's had problems with his temper and his control freak tendencies. Sure it wasn't noticeable earlier, even with that slight outburst, but in the time I've witnessed his and Star's relationship, it was pretty obvious to me. Not to mention, he's got some Yandere stuff going on in mindset. It has to be a facade he's putting up to make sure he can be with her again."

"So is that why you decided to go? To see if he's really changed?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"You're not going to enjoy?"

"Even for a Plurixian, the underworld has a lot of stuff we wouldn't get or do or have. Dangerous or boring, even. Probably the only thing I'll enjoy there would be the dance. They say that during the Blood Moon Ball, the moon will glow red and choose two lucky souls to be intertwined forever."

"Are you hoping for it?"

"What, for us? Not in the slightest."

They walked out of their changing rooms and both were stunned at each other.

Levi wore a dark blue coat with a black shirt underneath, with black slacks, shoes, and watch. He decided to just be simple, only adding a few extra things, like his hair set up with gel that shined. The simplicity of his outfit made him look even better.

Jackie, meanwhile had worn a sea green dress with a corsage located at the left side. She wore heels and had her hair tied up nicely. She also put light makeup. Although it wasn't much, her look already accentuated her beauty more.

"Wow..." They both said.

"You look..." Jackie trailed off.

"... stunning." They were blushing and smiling, nervously looking at each other. This was soon interrupted when a flash hit them both.

"Gotcha!" Janna said, with her phone's camera taking a picture of them. "You two look so _cute_ together!" She said.

"Janna!" They said in embarrassment. She laughed.

"So you're worried about Tom, Levi. Don't sweat it! If he is now who he claims to be, then just beat the crap out of him for hurting Star, if he ever did." She advised. Levi sighed.

"I guess you're right, but one punch ought to do it." He said. Janna shrugged.

"Should we get going, then?" Jackie asked. Levi nodded.

"Yeah. I'll ring the bell." He went to get the bell and hammer and came back. He struck the bell. A deep resonating sound came from it. Outside, a pillar of fire rose. There appeared a carriage carried by a red demon, bound in chains. It almost felt like as if it was an elevator.

It opens.

"I guess that's your ride." Janna said. They looked at her. "I'll stay here and watch your house. Don't worry." She gave them a thumbs up gesture.

"Alright, Janna. If you say so. C'mon Levi, let's go." They both entered and sat down.

"Which floor, mortals?" The demon asked. They looked at each other in confusion.

"The bottom, I guess?" The demon seemed to understand what Jackie said. The doors close, and the elevator carriage lowers down to the underworld. They held hands as they waited, turning away from each other, but still smiling.

"You have arrived." The demon said from outside, the door opening. They walked out.

"Hey, you guys." Tom greeted.

"I'm guessing Star hasn't arrived yet?" Levi asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm just waiting for her."

"Well speaking of her, I think that's her carriage now." Indeed as Jackie said, Star's carriage had arrived. She came out. Levi smirked while Jackie gazed at her in awe.

 _'Wow... she's so beautiful.'_ Jackie thought.

 _'Heh. I knew she'd pull off all the stops.'_ Levi thought.

"Star Butterfly. Don't _you_ clean up nicely." Tom noted.

Star was a bit skeptical about that, so she settled for a simple thank you.

"Here, I got you this." He showed her a horned spider. Red flags were immediately raised in Levi and Jackie's minds. When they looked at each other, they knew what the other was thinking.

"Uh, what is that?" Star asked.

"It's a hair thing. It for your... well you know. Anyways it should help you fit in here." Tom explained.

Star reacted with a look of disgust. "How sweet. But I've got my own thing, you know? I'm pretty happy with what I have. Anyways, let's go have fun. Levi, Jackie, shall we?" She asked. THe two smiled and nodded, but behind those smiles were suspicions on Tom.

* * *

Back at Marco's house...

In Star's room, Marco slumped down on a chair, eating nachos while in his outfit, including the sombrero he had with him when he talked with Star earlier.

His mind was in somewhat of a bind. He always looked out for Star. She knew of his distrust for Tom. But she told him that: First, he wasn't invited; Second, it's a different kind of fun according to her, and; Three, he has to let her do the right thing for herself.

Now, he knew these were all good points, but he felt that he should just go 'fuck this, I'm doing what I think is right.' The only thing that was keeping him from doing so was her words, especially when she told him that he has to trust her in doing the right thing for herself.

Not to mention she kicked him away. He knew Star won't let him go with her but to kick him? In all honesty it kinda hurt him.

"Man, even Levi and Jackie got invited. Damn it. I know Star's right about how I should let her make her own decisions, but I just have a bad feeling about this." The young Latino said aloud, with no one in the house, luckily. His parents were out on a trip, so he and the princess had the house to themselves for the next few days.

He sighed. "What do I do?" He looked up at the blood moon.

All of a sudden, he heard a voice. _"Blood moon tonight."_

He jumped from his seat in surprise and looked around. "What the..." He wondered. He then looked at a portrait of an old sea captain.

"Hm... strange." He said while chewing on his nachos. He looked back down.

 _"The moon of lovers."_ The voice spoke again. This time he quickly stood up and looked at the portrait again. He then looked at the bell and hammer and back at the moon, and back again at the bell and hammer. It's blood red cresent ornament shined. He bit his lip. He sighed.

"I know you won't like what I'm about to do Star, but I think this is what I need to do. Please don't hate me for this." Marco said, almost sadly, but he strengthened his resolve. He then approached and took the small hammer and rang the bell.

Meanwhile, back at the ball, Tom gleefully looked at the photo booth. There were two demons ready for a picture.

"Smile." The picturetaker said. The two did, as blood poured on them from above, the picture taken after the blood was poured.

"How beautiful." He said. The two demons exited the booth, and Star and Tom walked up next. Levi and Jackie decided not to have a picture taken at the booth after seeing what happened.

"I got my phone. Here, smile." Levi said, taking out his phone and turned it towards them. They smiled, and Levi took the selfie.

"Perfect." They both said. They then looked back at the other two.

"My best friend's a unicorn." Star told him.

"Well I'm sure they're not related." Tom rebuffed.

"I'm not gonna let myself be bathed in unicorn blood, Tom." They heard this.

"Unicorn blood?" Jackie asked.

"Star has a friend who's a unicorn head. I know it's strange, but there's a lot of stranger universes out there. But even she's a better person than Tom." Levi said. Jackie shrugged and smiled.

"Are you... are you getting angry?" Star asked as she saw him petting his bunny behind his back.

"No." Tom stifled a word, really trying to push aside his anger.

"Look, you do you. I'll be off somewhere else. I'll get myself a drink." Star left. Levi and Jackie followed.

Tom could only look on, desperately trying to control his temper.

"Here it comes again..." Star said. The three were at the punch bowl, and they were staring at the bubbling red liquid.

"Bloop! Out comes the fish!" Levi said as the skeleton fish jumped out of the liquid and back in. The three laughed.

"Hi Henry!" Star said.

Two demons then appeared.

"You must be Tom's date." One of the two, the stubby demon with horns and no midsection, said. Star shrugged.

"I guess I am." She said.

"Well I hope you're happy. He made this whole entire ball completely boring, all for you." The demon told her.

"I wouldn't say it's boring." Star said.

"Oh really?" The demon pointed to two fellow demons dancing. They both looked in their late tens. "Aloof attractive people. Boring!" He said.

"I wouldn't say boring. I'd say that's sweet." Jackie said.

The demon emerged from the punch bowl and ignored her. "Bubbling cauldrons that don't even melt your flesh off! What the heck is this, nap time or somethin'? 'Cause I'm already tired of it!" He continued to rant, pointing at an empty can on the ground, "Piece of garbage that doesn't destroy the universe. Stupid cockroach that lives inside. I'm over this crap already!"

"Is your standards for a ball that unnecessarily high?" Levi cut in.

"And who are _you_?" He asked.

"I'm Levi, from Plurix. And I'm going to be the guy that knocks your teeth out if you don't get outta here." He threateningly said.

"And what can you do about it-" He was promptly cut off by a punch that knocked his lights out. Darkness energy receded back to Levi.

"Was that really necessary?" Star asked.

"The guy's being a jerk. And who is he to say that those two dancing demons are boring? I agree with Jackie. It's sweet."

"Do you want to dance?" The other demon of the two, a tall demon with a short head, asked Star.

"You should probably get your friend outta here." Jackie spoke.

"Also, her dance card's full." Tom spoke as well, cutting in between the demon and Star.

"Oh, I see. I bet that your soul and her soul are going to be like..." He intertwined his fingers. "... mmmmmm." He finished.

Star, confused, also intertwined her fingers. "What's 'mmmmmm'?" She asked. No one answered, causing her to let her fingers go, her arms back to her sides. Eventually the tall demon dragged his demon friend out of the place.

The two demons that the stubby demon pointed at walked up to Levi and Jackie. "Thanks for the compliment, you two, and for defending us from that guy. We really appreciated it. And we didn't expect it to be coming from a human and a Plurixian." The female demon said. The two smiled.

"It's no problem. Honestly, it really was sweet." Levi said.

"We saw how you two really felt for each other. Good luck in your relationship, you two." Jackie said. The two demons smiled.

"It just isn't so common for things like this to be supported by other species, us being demons and all. To hear your support, it's just... something." The male demon said.

"Well, just continue supporting each other. I think you two have a bright future with each other." Levi said.

"Again, thanks." She then held hands with her lover.

"Also... are you two in a relationship?" He asked. Immediately the two blushed.

"N-n-n-no!" They stuttered. The two demons laughed.

"You two look so cute together. We'll be rooting for you two." They said as they left them to themselves.

 _'That's the second time now!'_ Levi thought. Jackie had similar thoughts. Their thoughts were interrupted, however, by the ball organizer.

He spoke through the microphone, "Ahem. Good evening to you all. Now, I would like to request all of you to turn your heads skyward." On the ceiling, there was a hand-shaped skylight. A few seconds later, a cresent-shaped opening appeared on the skylight.

"When the light of the blood moon descends and selects two lucky souls, it will bind them together for eternity in its hypnotic, ruby gaze." He further said, intertwining his fingers to get the meaning through.

Jackie turned to him, surprised. He was just as surprised as her.

The light shined through the skylight opening as the eerie organ music was played.

Immediately, Tom looked at the organ in frustration. "That is not the music I asked for! Ugh, this is driving me crazy!" He looked at Star, who was a bit suspicious.

"Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back." Tom then left. Star shrugged.

"Okay." She said, and wandered off.

"I don't think I told you how much Tom is a total control freak, haven't I?" Levi wondered to Jackie.

"Nope. But is he that desperate?" She asked.

"I guess so. C'mon, let's dance." He said, taking her hands in his, and they danced. They didn't notice Marco coming through the crowd, searching for Star. To disguise himself from everyone knowing who he was, he wore a skull mask before leaving for the underworld.

"Star! Star!" He whispered, following her. She did not hear him, continuing to aimlessly wander around. He went through many of the dancing couples before finally reaching to her.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him.

And just like that, the light of the blood moon shined on them, greatly surprising not only them, but the crowd too...

...except for Levi and Jackie, who were also under the focus of the light of the blood moon. They widened their eyes as they looked at each other, drawn to the other's longing gaze.

Shock was very evident on everyone's looks. In the history of the underworld, there had never been any occurrence in the Blood Moon Ball that the light of the blood moon shined on two pairs. Until now.

Within the crowd, the demon pair that thanked the two of them cheered amongst each other.

"They got picked!" The female demon happily said.

"I know! This is so awesome! You go you two!" The male demon said, also happy.

The ball organizer had his eyes widened. _'Never in my long lifespan have I ever seen such an occurrence like this! I would surmise that the blood moon had a reason to pick two pairs of lucky souls this time! What a joyous occasion! This will be written down in the history books!'_ He thought in glee.

As if on cue, another kind of organ music played. As if tranced by each other's gazes upon one another, Star and Marco, and Levi and Jackie danced.

They turned, spun, twisted, and danced to their heart's content. They felt no other presence except for their dance partner.

As Marco continued to dance with Star, she looked more and more dreamy under his gaze, gasping in pleasure at the dance they were doing. Marco could only smile under his mask, as if he was happy that his partner was dancing happily with him.

Likewise, it was almost the same with the other two. Only for them, they could speak freely, albeit under the pleasure of their dance, they could only form short phrases. They looked like they were smitten with each other.

"I never... knew you could dance like this... oh my! This is so... ooooohhhh." Jackie said, gasping and moaning.

"I had to take... dancing lessons... as part of my training in royalty... gods this just..." Levi trailed off, moaning just a bit as they continued dancing. He instead settled for a warm smile. Jackie could amost feel the heat coming off of her face as she intently looked at him. He felt the redness on his cheeks too.

Tom could only watch, seething in so much rage and hatred. Not at Levi and Jackie, that he can tolerate. In fact he almost felt happy for them if not for what was happening right now.

He wasn't just angry towards Star's dancer.

 _He was extremely livid._

"Staaaaarrrrrr..." Marco said to her.

"How do you know my name?" She asked dreamily.

"It's me! Marco!" He said, removing his mask. Almost immediately Star's expression changed to one of surprise.

"Marco?! What are you doing here?!" She asked.

"I don't know, I just... felt compelled to be here. But anyways, let's get out of here." He said.

Tom angrily walked up to Marco and shoved him to the floor.

At that point, Levi and Jackie finished their dance, with him pulling her close towards him, shades of red adorning their cheeks, panting and gasping. They could only smile and hug. But they then pulled away when they saw the skylight close. They looked back at Tom and Marco and walked closer, stopping near Star.

 _'Marco?!'_ They both thought in surprise.

Tom saw the skylight close, and he looked back down at Marco, his eyes glowing a dangerously bright red. He slowly but angrily walked up to him as Marco backed away and eventually stood up.

"That dance... was meant... **FOR ME!** " Tom roared as pillars of fire burst around the ballroom. Jackie widened her eyes in surprise. So did Levi, but he steeled back his gaze.

"Walk it out-" Brian tried to help, but was pushed away by the demon prince.

" **NO BRIAN!** " He yelled.

Marco only looked at him with a resigned gaze. He then took a karate stance.

"If this is what I had to do... then I'll pay the price for it." He said, ready to fight Tom.

Tom roared and levitated with his flames from his hands and feet... only to be stopped frozen in a block of ice by Star.

Star walked up to Tom's frozen form and used her wand's magic on the button on his shirt. From 53 days anger free, it turned to 0.

Star sighed, almost from anger and annoyance. "Let's go Marco." She said.

"Wait." Levi called out to her, causing her to turn to him, and so did Marco, who was about to follow.

"One last thing." He walked up to Tom. His right fist was covered in darkness energy. He knew that despite being frozen, he can still hear him.

"Tom... for what it's worth, you're a good friend. It's just that you have temper _and_ control freak problems. I could've let the friendship between the three of us continue." He sighed, as if he has no other choice but to perform this action. "However, you hurt Star before, and you tried to use this special occassion to force Star to love you again, when she gave you a second chance. You two broke up for a reason, and you still tried everything you could, including forcing her into something she will resent you for forever. That, I can never forgive for a long time. That's what it will be if someone tries to hurt my best friend who's almost like a sister to me. Not only did you destroy your second chance with Star, you also destroyed your chance of reconciliation. Good gods, I _really_ hope you won't be like your father, Tom."

He sent one _really_ powerful darkness-infused punch towards his body, sending him crashing to the wall, breaking the ice and rendering him unconscious.

"Let's go." He said.

Before they left, Levi and Jackie looked at the demon pair they talked to earlier. They smiled at them. The demons gave them a thumbs up gesture. They blushed an even deeper shade. Levi and Jackie waved goodbye, and so did the demons as well.

"Best Blood Moon Ball, ever." He told his lover, turning to her.

"Love, this may be our only Blood Moon Ball, but you may be right. We may have just witnessed the best one in history, for sure." She said to him. They gazed at each other, smiled, and shared a kiss under the moonlight.

* * *

Back with our four, they had just arrived back at Star's balcony in Marco's house.

"Thanks for the ride." Star said as they exited the elevator carriage.

Once the four exited, the elevator carriage then left.

"We'll give you two some space. We know it's been a long night for you two. We'll be on the roof." Levi said.

"Wait, what?" Jackie asked before being pulled by Levi and sent up to the roof with him, leaving the two alone now.

Marco gave a sad smile at Star.

"Go ahead. Lay it all out on me." He said.

"With pleasure. You are just so infuriating!" Star began, throwing her shoes ay Marco, who caught them with ease.

"I tried, and I guess I failed miserably."

Star exasperatedly raised her arms in the air and pointed back at Marco.

"Damn right you failed! You don't trust me to do things by myself. I'm 15. I know how to handle a demon. My ex-boyfriend at that." She walked over and leaned on the balcony.

"I know you're looking out for me, but you have to let me figure things out on my own. I don't need a hero. I need a _friend_." She finished, emphasizing the last word.

Marco looked at her in both guilt and sadness. He leaned his back on the balcony, removing his mask.

"Sometimes... it just takes over, you know? The safe kid nature in me, I'm always concerned for my friends. Sometimes, I guess I just let things go too far, even though I knew the risks."

"Has this ever happened before?" The question made Marco pause.

"Let me think..." Marco thought long and hard to see if something like this had happened before.

"... I guess... I guess not. This is the first time this actually happened." Star looked at him. Marco stared back at her.

"Either way... I'm sorry for what I did. I should've trusted you." He said, feeling guilty. Star gave a small smile.

"Either way, Marco... I appreciate what you tried to do. But, sometimes, let me do things on my own, alright?"

"Okay, Star."

"Thanks."

After a few seconds of silence, Marco spoke up again.

"Star?" He called out.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"I know it's going to be strange, but while waiting for you, I heard voices. Specifically, about the Ball."

"What did it say?"

He then imitated the voice's words.

Star gained a knowing look. "That is strange."

"For some reason, it just compelled me to go."

"And it led to what happened up to now. It's okay, Marco."

Still, Marco was curious about one thing.

"Star, did I dance alright?"

"Did you dance alright? You were so good! I didn't think you could dance!" She took his hat and wore it on her head. His hair came out all ruffled.

They laughed. "Hat hair." They realized what they said.

"Whoa!"

"We both said-! The same thing-! Okay, stop that."

They gasped and jumped away from each other, covering their mouths. Star pointed her wand at Marco.

They eased up and laughed. When they stopped laughing and stared, the two suddenly jumped and hugged each other. Marco pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. Star did the same around his neck.

"That was..."

"... sudden."

They didn't care, however. All they could do is bask in the closeness of their parnter and the light of the blood moon, snuggling closer.

At the same time they began conversing, Levi and Jackie sat on the roof, watching the blood moon. Jackie leaned towards him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"This night has been a whirlwind for me."

"I'll say. So that's how it's like in the underworld."

"I don't know what to say about Tom now. He was my friend, but now I feel that he just wasted his last chance. And in some weird way, Marco was right about him." Levi sadly said.

"He could've been a good friend. I just wish he get better. What did you mean when you said that you hoped that he won't become like his dad?" Jackie asked.

"His temperamental issues came from his dad, the king of the underworld. So it was probably inherited. He's had his good showings as a friend. I only wish the best for him now."

"I'm sure he'll be alright."

"I hope so." Deciding to switch topics, he spoke again.

"I feel really happy about that demon couple we talked with."

"I know, right? Those two were sweet. I hate that the demon talked bad about them. So what if they're aloof and attractive? They love each other, and that's what matters."

"Anyways, I didn't expect the dance at all."

"Neither did I. Still, the moon is just a legend, right?"

"I don't know. But... if it is real..." Jackie placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile.

"Levi... I don't mind if our souls are bound forever. I'm alright with it. We'll be there for each other, right?"

He smiled. "I guess you're right."

"The question, though, is are you?"

He looked up at the moon and back to Jackie. Almost then and there she knew his answer.

"I wouldn't mind in the slightest." She immediately hugged him. They stared at each other deeply.

"Jackie... you're so beautiful." He said, tucking her hair.

"I feel so lost in you, Levi." She said back.

They leaned in, their noses touching, but they suddenly pulled away.

Eyes wide, they blushed even deeper shades of red.

"Were we...?"

"...I think we were about to."

Regardless, they embraced once more.

"Don't ever leave me, Levi, promise?" She asked him.

Levi looked worried about her question, but he pushed his doubts aside.

"I...I promise."

They then heard a call from below. They looked down to see Star and Marco looking up at them.

"C'mon you two! We got nachos to celebrate today!" Star said. The two grinned and jumped down. Together the four went back into the room, ready to eat.

On a hill overlooking Star's house, the same person from many times before stared at the moon.

"The Blood Moon Ball... a special occassion that happens every six hundred and sixty seven years... and it picked two pairs." He said aloud.

He smiled. "You have someone with you now, Levi. However, the time grows even nearer. Until we meet, Levi." He disappeared in the same void portal, leaving no trace of him ever appearing.

The light of the moon shined brighter.

From the underworld, however...

"Marco Diaz..." Tom growled, having regained consciousness, his anger returning.

"You are going to fucking pay for this." His eyes glowed a very dangerous red.

From a few spaces away, Brian sadly looked at his friend and client/patient.

 _'Tom... I tried to do my best to help. I'll do all I can to really make sure you get better. Levi, Marco, Star, Jackie... you're my only hope in making sure he gets on the right track. Sure I sometimes had problems as I tried to help, but it's beacuse you're my friend that I still stayed to help you.'_

 _'It's only a matter of time before he tries to get revenge. I hope the four of you will be prepared for it.'_

* * *

 **AN: Probably the most fun I had rewriting an episode. The Blood Moon Ball's probably my most favorite episode of season 1, only second to Storm the Castle and tied with St. Olga's. Including pulling a late-nighter, on a night before a school day, no less. However, as I said, I loved this episode, so I decided to at least finish it before Tuesday, thus the all-nighter. So I guess it came a bit early.**

 **I'm sure no one expected this to arrive a lot sooner. Or the fact that this would kickstart Year 2. Or I could be wrong.**

 **Now, this one obviously had a LOT of ship teases between the two pairs. However, trust me, and just be patient. This doesn't mean our pairings are confirmed. However, this is a vital one to which how they'll see their partners differently since then.**

 **One change I'm making (thus, somewhat diverting it from canon) is Tom. He's very pissed off now, and he'll now do all he can to get his revenge on Marco. It'll be painful. So much that it would make what he had planned in Mr. Candle Cares seem tame, if not tame already for me.**

 **So, please review below. As I've said time and time again, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one.**

 **Now for some review responses.**

 **Chance G (is it alright if I just shorten it to that?): Honestly, I gave it all I could to send home the emotions. And Ludo is just awesome as a bad guy now. Definitely improved a lot. And thanks for saying it was emotional.**

 **Guest Sorta: Eh, I like canon Jackie, but for the sake of this fic, I changed it up. But I'm glad you love my version of Jackie.**

 **starcoshipper13: Thanks. I was a bit doubting myself on how the chapter would go.**

 **Thanks for reading, everyone. Until then.**


	15. Special Chapter - Happy New Year!

**Happy New Year!  
In this New Year's special, Jackie helps Levi celebrate his first New Year's Eve on Earth.**

* * *

11:00 A.M.

"I don't get it. What's the fireworks for?" Levi asked.

"It's for the New Year's Eve celebration, dummy. We do this every year." Jackie explained, as she set up the fireworks outside their house. Levi was also helping her do so, as they almost finished up.

"But on the last day of the year?"

"Yup. We do this to celebrate the coming of the new year because, as you said, it's the last day of 2015, and we're moving onto 2016."

The day was December 31, 2015. As she said, it's New Year's Eve. It's the time where everyone counts down to the first day of a new year and celebrates. Celebrations were typical in Echo Creek. There's parties, drinking, fireworks, fiestas, the usual stuff done. For the past two years, Jackie has celebrated New Year's Eve with her best friend Janna at her house with her mother, along with a few other friends. This would be the first time she would celebrate it with her friends, and now, Levi.

But no doubt, this would also be Levi's very first celebration of New Year's Eve. Not even in his life in Plurix did they celebrate it. In Plurix, they had adopted some Earth holidays and events like Valentine's Day, The Fireworks Festival (known as Fourth of July on Earth), and White Day, but New Year's Eve was one that they did not adopt. As such, Levi will get to experience it first-hand.

"You humans sometimes celebrate for the simplest of reasons. But I guess that's where the excitement's at its best and highest, yeah?"

Jackie nodded. "Yup. Pretty much. That's how we roll. Bring out the flashiest stuff for the most outlandish and simple reasons."

Levi smiled. Everyday, his liking of Earth went up bit by bit. Now, six months since his first day, it had become apparent that he loved Earth, and wouldn't mind to stay when needed. And it was all helped by Jackie, his best friend.

"Need some help with that?" The two turned.

"Thea!" The two said. Of course, there's Levi's other best friend, aside from Star. Therese had arrived, to the surprise of the two.

"I see you're fixing up some fireworks for the New Year, eh?"

"Yup. Wait... how did you know about the New Year's Eve thing?" Levi asked.

"I've only started doing this last year, but my parents have done this for a long time now. It's only last year that they brought me here on Earth to celebrate this event. Trust me, when it comes to these events, they can get pretty wild. I've seen it, and luckily I wasn't a part of those moments." She explained.

"Well that explains it."

"Do you need some help with the fireworks?" Thea offered.

"Nah, we should be getting done now. All we need is a few adjustments. Aaaaaannnnnddd done!" Jackie declined. "Now, we'll light these up when midnight arrives, alright?" Levi nodded.

"Let's visit Star and the others." Levi offered.

"Sounds like a plan." Thea said. The three then walked out of the house and went to Marco's.

"Hey there Star!" Levi called out, as Star helped Marco set up the fireworks around the house.

"Levi! Thea!" She said from above, jumping down.

"Star wait don't jump dow-AAAAAHHHH!" Marco screamed, as Star inadverdently brought Marco down with her. The two landed on the ground with Star sitting on Marco's prone body.

"Owwwww... sorry Marco." She apologized, as she was helped up by Jackie. In turn she helped up Marco.

"No, it's alright Star. Well, it's you after all." He shrugged it off.

"Hugs?"

"Hugs." The two did.

"I see you're preparing for the new year celebration early as well." Levi noted.

"You guys set up your fireworks too?" The three nodded at Star.

"Coooooool." Star walked up to Thea and hugged her. She returned the hug wholeheartedly.

"It has been some time now, hasn't it, Thea?"

"Sure has, Star. It's all thanks to Levi."

Marco approached Thea.

"So you must be Thea. Well, pleased to meet you. I'm Marco Diaz."

"He's known as the safe kid." Star spoke. Marco slightly turned red in embarrassment.

"No, Star, I'm not! I'm just... looking for a little danger once in a while."

"Yeah... except when you have Star with you, you've gotten more than what you've bargained for. I'm glad she actually has someone who can keep her in check. Safe kid, after all."

"Awww, thanks, Levi!" Star took the statement as a positive thing.

Marco, meanwhile, felt a bit more embarrassed. Thea giggled.

"It's alright, Marco. You seem to be someone I can trust, and if Star and Levi have trusted you for as long as you've met, then I can trust you too. You're my friend." Thea reassuringly said, causing Marco to smile.

"Thanks, Thea."

The Diaz parents then came out of the door, greeting the two. They looked at Thea.

"Are you a friend of Star or Marco?" Angie asked her.

"I've only met Marco just now, but I'm one of Star's friends, and Levi's longtime friend too. I'm Therese DeQuizono, but in short, just call me Thea."

"I see. Well, any friend of Star is a friend of ours, so we're glad to meet you, Thea."

"Likewise, umm..."

"I'm Angie Diaz. This is my husband, Rafael." Thea nodded at that and smiled.

"Hmmm... I'm sure my parents will get along with you guys just fine..."

* * *

3:00 P.M.

Now, the two were at Quest Buy.

"Exactly what are we looking for, Levi?" Jackie asked.

"Well, since we're gonna celebrate this event, I thought maybe we should get some special things for it." He said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we're not gonna get beer or anything, are we?" She asked, wary of his intentions. He laughed and shook his head.

"Of course not, Kie. Even though Quest Buy's minimum age for buying liquors and beers is at 15, I wouldn't buy or drink any until I'm 18. No, what we're looking for are the ingredients for the ice cream I made months ago."

"Oh, I see. Awesome!"

He smiled at that. "Sure is. Now, let's get finding!" Off the two went, and they managed to find all they need an hour later. They then got back home, setting down what they bought.

"Since this needs to be frozen, I'll make this now. Care to help me out?"

"Like the last time? Why wouldn't I?" She grinned. And so they proceeded to make the special ice cream.

* * *

4:38 P.M.

The two heard a knock at the door.

"I'll go get it." Levi said. He walked over and opened it.

He immediately got blasted, crashing to the wall.

"What the-?!" Jackie stood up when she saw him blasted away to the wall. She got to the doorway and was greeted with the sight of their enemy.

"Lynx. What are you doing here?" She said with contempt. The figure in question grinned.

"Well, it's been some time now, Jackie, but don't forget, my reasons are still the same. I'm here for Levi's powers."

"Damn you!" Her white bracelet transformed into two daggers and attacked him, swinging them with reckless abandon. Lynx was surprised at this, as he didn't anticipate her having a weapon.

 _'Since when did she have weapons to attack me with?'_ He thought as he dodged and ducked. Some struck him, while others cut him. As he was bombarded with more strikes, he continued to defend himself. In frustration, he sent a magic blast to her, but she blocked it with her daggers. However, her daggers were weakening, and he sent another blast, and the daggers shattered, turning back into her bracelet. He sent a third, blasting her to the wall. She tried to get up, but she was only able to get on her hands and knees, panting in exhaustion and pain. She tried to use the bracelet to create another weapon, but it proved to be fruitless, as the bracelet did not change.

"You're in my way. I just need to knock you out, and Levi's done for." He said. Jackie looked up at him, a defiant look in her eyes.

"You will never get him." She told him.

"Try me." He smirked.

Before Lynx could finish her with a magic attack, Levi kicked him from behind, pushing him back. He used his darkness energy to create dark beams to strike him. He amplified the beams with more energy. Lynx, however, created a magic shield to hold off the attack, but it was shattered seconds later. Opting for a closer attack, he jumped up, conjuring fire attacks towards him. Levi saw this and dodged them, striking back with a darkness blast. Lynx sent another fire attack, and the two clashed, trying to overpower one another. Unexpectedly, to Lynx, Levi obliterated his blast, and he was sent crashing to the ground.

Finished, Levi went over to Jackie, helping her up.

"You alright?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Just winded, and a bit bruised, that's all." She told him. He slung his arm over her, helping her stand properly. The two heard a sound and turned to see Lynx stand up.

"I lost again. I wanted to finish this quickly, but it seems it has gotten the best of me again." He said.

"Hey, I know we're enemies and all, but try to celebrate here on Earth." Levi said.

"What do you mean? What's the special occasion?" He asked him.

"It's New Year's Eve. On Earth, people celebrate the coming of the next year. You'll see it all around you."

"I see."

"But try not to find a place here in town. Try going somewhere else in the country. If you want to be close, then Los Angeles is where you can go. But, you can also try New York, if you want. Oh, and the people will celebrate when night comes, so don't forget." Jackie suggested.

Lynx was downright confused. "Why? Why are you telling me all this? I'm your enemy, after all." He asked.

"Because even though you're our enemy, you deserve to try to rest once in a while. I mean, all I've noticed is you just fighting us. Have you ever thought of taking a proper break?" Levi explained, smiling. Jackie did so as well.

"I guess I haven't. I'll try then." Lynx used his dimensional scissors to cut open a portal.

"Until we meet again, Levi. You too, Jackie." He then left.

Levi turned to Jackie.

"Let's patch you up."

"Alright. No funny business, alright?"

"C'mon, Jackie. You know me better than that!"

* * *

10:00 P.M.

Everyone in Echo Creek was out now to celebrate. The preparations were done. Heck, some fireworks were already out. The duo were out with Star, Marco, Thea, and Janna.

Thea's parents were also there, talking with Marco's parents, as did Star's and Levi's. The adults were all having fun sharing tales of themselves and their children to each other, the laughter and smiles shared all around.

"Hey guys!" Brittney called out.

"Hey Brittney!" Everyone but Thea called back.

"Another friend of yours?" Thea asked.

"Pretty much, yeah." Levi said.

"I'm Brittney Wong." She introduced to Thea.

"I'm Therese DeQuizono, but call me Thea." She introduced back. Brittney took Thea by her hand, and said to her, "You look like someone whom I can get along with just fine..." Thea grinned. The two left, deciding to talk to each other more.

"Everyone's feeling so festive tonight." Levi noted.

"It's how it always goes every year."

* * *

At New York City, Lynx appeared, in a more civilian clothing. He saw the bright lights, the cars, and the people at Times Square. The twenty-three year old Plurixian walked, feeling a bit strange at the presence of so many people.

He was aimlessly walking, in awe at the sights and sounds. _'While I've been to the city where Levi lives, I've never seen so much life like this until now. This is amazing.'_ He thought. As he walked, distracted by his amazement, he collided with someone and fell onto the ground.

He groaned. "Sorry. I didn't see you there. I just got too caught up in the sights." He apologized. He looked at the person whom he bumped into. It was a red-headed woman around his age, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a simple t-shirt. She was holding a lot of paper bags that were now scattered.

"No, it's okay. I didn't know where I was looking too." She said, picking up some of the scattered paper bags.

Lynx went over and took some of them as well. "Here, let me help you." He helped her stand and pick up the other bags. He then gave what he picked up to her.

"Thanks. Say, what's your name?" She asked him.

Inwardly, Lynx panicked. He realized that he hadn't thought of a fake name to go by while being on Earth, as he knew that he obviously can't use his real name. Then again, he couldn't really remember what his real name really was. He decided to be simple.

"Nicholas. My name's Nicholas. Call me Nick." Lynx, now currently going by 'Nicholas'/'Nick', said. The woman smiled.

"I'm Katie." She said. Nick smiled in return. "Are you a first time visitor to the Big Apple?" She asked.

He confusingly looked at her. "Big Apple? But, I don't see something resembling one here." He said.

Katie laughed. "Silly, of course not! That's the nickname of New York City." She explained.

He gained an understanding look after that. "Ahhhh, I see." He chuckled to hide his embarrassment.

"But back to the question, is this your first time here in New York?" She asked again.

"Yeah, pretty much. I wanted to see how New Year's celebrated here."

"I'll tell you, it's pretty exciting to celebrate it here, especially when it's at Times Square. Say, since this is your first time here, I got a party at my place. Wanna come?"

"You sure about that? We just met. Won't your friends be suspicious about you bringing a stranger?"

"I'll just tell them I met you online some time ago and we planned to meet today."

Nick shrugged. "Can't argue with something like that. Alright, I'll take you up on that offer."

Katie brightly smiled. "Great! First thing you can do is carry some of these."

"Oh come on!"

She laughed. "You're coming, right? I might as well need the extra help."

* * *

11:00 P.M.

"I thought you said you have a party at your house, and that your friends were coming over." Nick said, a bit suspicious that no one's arrived. They had already arrived some time later and he helped her fix up the things she bought. Now he was sitting down on the couch across the TV, watching, while Katie was at the kitchen.

"They all declined." She said.

"I see."

She came out from the kitchen with food and sat down a few spaces from Nick, setting the food on the table.

"Well, I guess it's just the two of us." She said.

"I guess so."

Katie grabbed a bottle of beer and drank.

"Want one?" She offered.

Nick shook his head. "Maybe not now."

"Alright. This one's all mine, then." She walked out onto the balcony, holding the bottle. Nick followed her out. As it turned out, the balcony overlooked the parts nearer there, including Times Square.

"This view is amazing." He said. She smiled.

"I know, right?"

Some time later, Nick and Katie sat down on the couch again. The TV was now on a channel live in Times Square. It was now a good ten minutes before midnight.

* * *

"Jackie!" Two voices called out.

The girl widened her eyes. _'It can't be! Is it...'_ She turned, and saw them.

Her parents.

With tears on her eyes, she ran towards the two. She hugged them tightly.

"Mom! Dad!"

"Hello, Jackie." They said.

"You're here!" Levi said, followed by the others.

"Hiya Mr. Thomas and Ms. Parker." Janna said.

"Hello to you too, Janna." Anna said.

"Does this mean that..."

They sadly shook their heads at Jackie.

"No, Jackie. We're not together. But we decided to go see you on this day, to make up for us not visiting you in Christmas."

"Then you two being here is enough for me."

She didn't care now if they weren't together. All that mattered was that they were here, and they were going to celebrate together.

The other friends smiled.

"Hey everyone! Let's count down!" Someone said aloud. Levi turned to the others as Jackie and her parents walked towards them.

"You heard the man! Let's all count down!" Levi yelled.

"10!" Everyone began.

* * *

"Hey, Katie, where are you going?" Nick asked as Katie walked back to the balcony. She dropped the bottle.

* * *

"9!"

* * *

"Katie?" He stood up and followed her.

* * *

"8!"

* * *

"What are you doing?" He asked again, though it seemed that she ignored it.

* * *

"7!"

* * *

She was now facing the outside, only stopped by the barrier. Nick worriedly looked at her.

* * *

"6!"

* * *

"Nick..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

She climbed on the barrier. He widened his eyes and hurriedly went to her.

* * *

"5!"

* * *

He knew she was drunk. He knew what she intended to do. He knew he could not let her die.

She was about to jump, before two arms wrapped around her waist. It stopped her from jumping as she turned towards him. The barrier was large enough for him to stand on as well.

* * *

"4!"

* * *

The two were now still, as it seemed that he had embraced her.

"I can't let you die." He said to her as he brought her down back to the floor of her room.

"We just met. Why would you care?" She asked.

* * *

"3!"

* * *

"Does it matter? You deserve to live. I'm sure even if you think nobody cares, then I do. I do care now. Others would care as well, not wanting you to die." He said.

"You don't know me!"

"I don't! Yeah, I know that! But I'm willing to get to know you better for me to understand! I don't want you to die!"

"Why?! Why are you so willing to save me?!" She was fighting the tears.

"Because you're my first friend!"

* * *

"2!"

* * *

"W-what?"

"I've been so alone for a long time. I've lost so many friends I had. They're all gone. You're the first friend I had, and I'll be damned if I had let you die."

Most wouldn't have known it, but what he said was true. He was all alone for a long time. His fights with Levi, driven by some sort of unknown goal, were probably the only times he had interacted with other people. When he wasn't, he was by himself, going around places, not letting himself be known. Now he had made a friend, and he wouldn't forgive himself if he had let her die.

 _'I may be his enemy, but I'm not heartless.'_

"I'm... I'm sorry." She said, crying on his chest.

"It's okay." He replied.

* * *

"1!"

The fireworks had all blasted.

"Happy New Year!" Everyone in Echo Creek cheered.

* * *

"Would you look at that, those fireworks are so beautiful." Nick said, looking out. Katie did so too.

"Yeah. It's a grand spectacle once a year here."

"Hey, Katie."

"Yeah?"

"Happy New Year."

Katie smiled. In her life, she felt like she was a ghost to the people around her. Never seemingly caring, never noticing. She didn't have many friends. Her work was important to her now because of that. But then it had gotten to a point that she questioned herself on whether she was supposed to live. She planned to die that night, but Nick stopped her, giving her hope that maybe some people do care.

The two hugged tighter.

* * *

2:00 A.M.

"Do you want to meet again some time soon? I'd really like to know you more." He asked her.

"Yeah, I guess. I would love to."

She handed him a piece of paper. "My number. Just in case."

"Alright. I'll just text you then."

Nick was about to leave before he was called out.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For stopping me from making a decision I would regret."

He gave her one last hug.

"Just don't do that again, okay?"

"Okay."

He then left, closing the door to her room. Katie lied down on her bed.

 _'What a strange guy... but... I think I like him already.'_

With no one around, Nick used his scissors and went through the portal back to his home.

 _'Levi... thank you. Because of you, you saved someone's life. And now... you helped me too.'_ He thought with a smile.

In the end, 2015 had ended in a happy note for everyone.

* * *

 **AN: This is what happens when I just keep on writing. I began with the focus on my two mains, and now it just switched focus to Lynx all of a sudden. I just felt that he was needing some development, so as to not make him like Ludo in season 1, and I let my writing flow. And... this was the result. So many line breaks!**

 **Lynx has began to develop a connection. Katie is his first friend in a long time, after all. I'm not necessarily going to give him a love interest, but it's just that I won't give too much focus to that. So you won't be seeing Katie often, but she'll be there from time to time.**

 **Since it's now the new year, I decided to make a special chapter for it.**

 **Man... 2016 was a hell of a year. I'm not just counting about the tragic deaths to so many (bless all of them), I'm also talking about so many other events. From the NBA Finals, to the World Series, the elections, the Brexit, and others. I mean, who would've thought about those outcomes?**

 **Here's to hoping 2017 will be another great year that is hopefully not bombarded with so many tragic events.**

 **Remember to review!** **Happy New Year everyone!**


	16. Year 2 - Training

**Training**  
 **Levi decides to train her in order to help her defend herself better, with some (unintended) help from Lynx, and they learn surprising new information about her, especially when it has Levi involved in its development. Also, Levi deals with something personal.**

* * *

"C'mon Jackie, you need to be faster than that!" Levi instructed her as he dodged her attacks. She swiped and lunged with her knives. He weaved left and right and used his palm to strike her arm each time she failed to hit... which was almost every time she tried to get a hit on him. Every hit she tried to cocnnect, he always either dodged or countered it.

It was now almost the end of February.

"Give me a break, Levi. You've been at this for what, five years? Give me something to work with!" She retaliated at him as her weapons transformed on the fly, turning into two sticks. They were then at it again. The blonde attacked while the prince deflected and dodged. He eventually eased up on his speed, but continued to block her swings and strikes regardless. She threw one of her sticks towards him, which he caught easily, but was then met with a punch to his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. She bent down and picked up the stick.

"Yeesh. You've got a really mean right hand, Jackie, and I know this isn't the first time I said that. Won't be the last either." He stood up and rubbed his jaw. He wasn't given a chance to continue recovering, however, as she struck with two blows to his stomach by her weapons. She then fused the two together to form a long staff. Seeing this, he smirked and used his energy to conjure his own staff. Unlike Jackie's, which was pure white in color, his was pitch black.

The blonde swung first, which was easily blocked. She followed that by a jump kick, planting her staff on the ground. He backed away, striking her foot with his staff. She recovered quickly and jumped at him. He blocked that as well. She swept his feet, sending him tumbling. Lying the ground, he saw her try to strike him again. He got his staff up in time before she hit his head.

As they struggled to gain a hit on one another, he used his legs to sweep her off her feet. Losing her balance, she fell down on him, releasing her staff. He caught her in time. They stared.

Levi's staff dissipated. Jackie's staff turned back into her bracelet.

Finally, he stifled a chuckle. "Not bad, even though I held back a little."

She rolled right off of him at the right, and the two stared up at the trees, lying down.

So, how did this all begin? It was actually just a few days ago.

* * *

"That's the fifth time you needed to be saved." He told her. The two were currently lying down on her bed, staring into the darkness of the room. She sighed in sadness and self-pity.

"I'm really sorry. I guess you're getting pretty tired of saving me, huh?"

He shook his head and turned to smile at her. He leaned a bit closer. "No, not at all. I won't ever get tired of that if needed, because it's you, after all. You know how much I care about you. I'm just thinking about how you always seem to be in dangerous situations."

And in truth, he was. He would never get tired of it, because one, he did like her as she was his best friend, and two, he knew her limitations. However, he wondered why she was always in these situations, but not him. Not because he wanted to be saved. It was because when it happens, it usually isn't him, and always Jackie, and it was strange for him. Still, he needed to find a way to help her. He stared at her bracelet, and then back at her, who was looking back up to the ceiling.

He held her hand that had her bracelet on her arm. She felt his touch and lightly blushed. She turned her head away from him to avoid letting him see her reddened face. She had a small smile.

"You've had this bracelet since I gave it to you that night, right?" She nodded.

"Actually, it was your parents who gave it to me, for me to at least try to stop you from… well… you know."

"I get that. This also signifies our deep bond. You can have it change into whatever it is you will it to become, right?" Another nod. He gave a light chuckle.

"Looks like I got my work cut out for me. I'll have to try to train you."

She immediately spun to look at him. "What? Really?" He nodded.

"How?"

"I don't know just how yet, but I'll see what I can do. Until then, I need to to give me at least three weapons you'd like to train with."

She gave him a bright smile and a hug. No words were needed to be said from her as this was enough. He was surprised at this action, and he was blushing like her as well.

On her list were twin daggers, a staff, and a longsword. If possible, she'd want to also be trained in fighting without those weapons too, unarmed. Of course, he accepted that.

And this is where the two are now.

Suddenly, a portal was made, and Lynx quickly came out.

"You're done for!" He sent a blast towards him. Levi simply swung his hand and a shield was formed, deflecting it and hitting back towards Lynx. He was sent crashing.

"Oh come oooooooonnnn, seriously?" He asked aloud. No response was given from the two.

"Ughhhhhh, I give up." He just laid down on the ground, not willing to do a single thing.

"Today is not the day for us to fight, Lynx." The prince simply said.

"And pray tell why not?"

"I'm training Jackie today. Unless you can do something to help her, I might just have to send you back to your home."

' _Training? He's training her? Hmmm… must've been with that bracelet she's had.'_ Lynx pondered. An idea formed into his head.

"How about a simple spar?" He suggested. Levi rose to look at him.

"Eh? What are you getting at? You trying to hurt her to get to me, hm?"

The elder mage shook his head. "No, you stupid idiot. Not everything has to have an ulterior motive. With your reasons, I see some potential within Jackie. I figured maybe this will help to see what she can do."

Levi gave some consideration about this. _'He is right._ _I can't just be the only one who's gauging her. While this would result in giving away a potential advantage to him, it's best that I can be able to see her abilities and limits. However, I'll need to do something first...'_

"He's right, you know. I'll need more than you this time, Levi." Jackie further agreed to his point. It surprised her that she was agreeing with him of all people.

He decided to just go with it."Alright. I see your point. I guess you guys can start now. But I need to go and do something first."

"Where are you going?" Jackie asked.

"Somewhere not on Earth. Don't worry, it's nothing too bad. I just need to check up on something."

He took out his scissors and cut open a portal. The two took their fighting forms.

"Get to sparring, you two. Tell me what went up once I get back." He told them. They nodded. The last thing he saw before coming into the portal were the blonde and the mage clashing.

* * *

When he came out of the portal, he was now in a dark orange room. There wasn't much other than a bed, a medium-sized worktable, and a chair. On the wall were some pictures and plaques. The pictures all included the individual who just entered the room.

"Levi?" The individual asked. He turned and saw the individual, and smiled.

She had a dress with the colors of fire. She had two dull gold horns protruding from her temples. Two fangs were noticeable on her mouth. Her orange eyes looked on at the Plurixian prince in curiosity, and at the same time, in joy.

"It's been quite a while, Hekapoo." He told her, and approached to give her a warm embrace. She gave one back as well.

"I missed you." She told him. He scratched the back of his neck and lightly laughed.

"Well, duties, you and I. And I missed you too."

She playfully scoffed at him. "Yeah, right, you dork. You've just been on Earth. I, meanwhile, have been really handling a lot of stuff, since being into the Magic High Commission."

It would be strange that he and a member of the Commission would be close friends, but it ran far deeper than just through circumstance. Though that is a story for another time.

"So, tell me, any news on the Brotherhood, or Order, or whatever you call it, of Darkness and Fury?" He asked, as they sat on her bed.

"They've been relatively silent for the most part. There hasn't been activity yet since what they had done to you last time you went back home last September. The last time you went to see me." She answered.

He sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry for not checking up on you."

She gave him a small smile. "That's alright. We both had a lot of things to do, so even then I think it's impossible."

"So how's Jackie?" She asked.

"Doing great. I'm actually training her today. So much has happened with us that it might be growing too dangerous. I figured with her White Light Bracelet, things will get better for her when she masters it."

"Then why'd you come to see little old me, Levi?"

"Because I want to. Even for just a while. We're not that different, in terms of age, and personality, you and I."

' _True.'_ The young demoness thought.

Indeed it was. Yes, Levi is 15, but he's more mature than he lets on. Hekapoo, meanwhile, is the youngest of all the members of the Magic High Commission, at 17 years, physically, what with the time differences between her dimension and his, though she's still quite young, but even with her young age, she is still someone you do not want to trifle with. She's also mature, despite her playful nature and initial craziness.

In fact, Levi himself could've been a member of the Commission. His entire family all supported him whatever his decision was, even though it would hurt them a bit that he's be leaving from time to time. However, he declined, stating his reason that his first priority is with Plurix. However, he did not leave out the fact that in the near future, he might also take up on that offer. Among the four, he holds the highest respect for Queen Moon Butterfly. Of course, he'd then rank her after Queen Moon, as he has known her for quite some time, and has always made good decisions during those meetings. Her position was the Scissors Enforcer, monitoring all the dimension scissors used across the multiverse.

"I needed some time away. Think everything that has happened in Earth over. Evaluate."

However, at the moment, the female fire demon who is with the prince is not Hekapoo, the Scissors Enforcer and Magic High Commission Member. She is Hekapoo, Levi's close friend of five years. And someone who may have a crush on him. Maybe. Probably. He's known her the most out of everyone else, and that's why he's her closest friend (and maybe crush).

"Well, I'm here to help you. So what's up?" She sat closer to him, allowing him to lay his head on her lap.

"A lot, and they all have something to do with Jackie." At that, Hekapoo looked down at him in curiosity.

"How so?"

"I won't get into all the details, but I will give you the biggest one. Do you know the Blood Moon Ball?" She nodded.

"Well, I attended the ball with Jackie to keep an eye on Star's old flame Tom, and when the moon shined, I got picked, along with her. Not only that, Star and her best friend Marco got picked too." This surprised her, more about him and Jackie, and less about Star and Marco.

"Levi...you are aware of the legend surrounding it, right?"

"Yeah. Two lucky souls under the gaze of the blood moon will have their souls bound to each other forever. But… even then, it can't be real… right?" He was hoping it wasn't, but the look on the fire demon's features said it all. He looked down.

"Damn it." What he did not know, however, was that it not only caused problems for himself, but also for the girl who's with him.

"Tell me, Levi. Do you like her?" She asked him. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"You know that I have four best friends, right? Thea, Star, Jackie, and of course, you. Star and Thea are out since they're almost like sisters to me. Jackie… I don't know. And then there's you. I mean, do I like 'like' you now? Like Jackie, I have no idea about that either. It takes a while for me to determine my feelings. So as of now, I don't like her, nor you either. At least for now."

That gave her a bit of relief, actually. It wasn't that she had fallen for him (she might've already had, but she refuses to accept that), but it was that he was most probably the ideal partner for her. Of all the males she had met so far in her life, he had everything she was looking for in one. The only obstacle left was his age. However, just as time was perceived differently in her dimension, he perceived time differently as well. She'd resolve to get him once a year or two had passed. But with the Blood Moon choosing him and Jackie, the lament set in for her that she might not be able to get the prince she wanted. With his words, it gave her a chance to try and have him before anyone else could.

"I see." She only said. She smiled. "It's good that you aren't exactly acting on your feelings yet. I know you might be getting this a lot, but you're-"

"Too young. Yeah, I know. I kinda get that a lot. But give me another year or two, and maybe I have my answer. Not just to Jackie, but to you too."He paused before telling her, "Wait… do you like me?"

She only gave him a calm shake of her head and a small smile, even though she was slightly fidgeting internally. "No, silly. Besides, I don't think it's the right time yet."

"I guess you have a point there."

"So… anything else that happened?"

"Oh yeah! Well there was this one time me and Jackie went through..."

The conversation continued for a considerable amount of time. He noticed it and decided to leave.

"I gotta go. I loved our time again. It was great to see you again." He told her, standing up.

"Likewise, Levi. Just visit me again, okay?" She asked him.

He smiled. "Of course I will." He embraced her. She returned it in warm kindness, and a slight redness on her cheeks. He kissed her on her forehead, which made her even redder. He pulled back from her and cut open a portal behind him.

"See you soon, Hekapoo."

"You too, Levi." He walked through, and the portal was gone.

The demoness looked on at the empty space that was Levi.

' _I'll get you soon, Levi. I don't mind Jackie at all.'_

* * *

Lynx grunted as he was pushed back by Jackie. They were still going at it.

' _Just how resilient is this girl?! She's still not giving up!'_ He thought as he summoned a wolf mirage. It attacked her, but she blocked it with her knives. She then sent one of them up the wolf underneath, making it explode in a burst of harmless magic residue. Just as soon as she lowered her guard, he came up behind her and kicked her right at her left side.

She impacted the ground hard. She recoiled, her knives transforming back into her bracelet. She gasped for air as she held herself. She looked back up to see him with a magic blast ready to strike her. She knew this was still a part of their spar, but this will most likely knock her out.

A portal opened and Levi came out.

Jackie raised her arms in self-defense and slight fear, closing her eyes. The blast fired at her.

All of a sudden, her arms glowed white. A magic blast fired from her hands, and it utterly overpowered Lynx's blast, now coming for him. He widened his eyes.

' _Oh shi-'_ Lynx thought before being struck by the blast, sending him crashing to the wall. He was knocked out.

Levi witnessed all of this. "Oh my god, Jackie!" He came up to her. She lowered her arms and opened her eyes. She saw what she had done.

"What the… did I do that?" She asked him, pointing to the smoke trail leading up to Lynx's unconscious form.

"I guess you did…?" He said, unsure as well of what had just happened.

"That… was a magic blast of Light energy. Plurixian origin." Lynx said as consciousness returned to him and stood up, despite the pain wracked on his body.

"Plurixian… origin?" Jackie wondered.

"Wait… are you saying that…" Levi said, as realization began to set in…

' _Impossible… that can't… I can't… is it?'_

"Exactly." Lynx simply said.

"Wait what are you guys talking about?" Jackie asked.

"Jackie, don't you get it?"

"You have Plurixian powers." Both of them said.

Jackie was silent. She looked at her hands. They glowed white. Then the eyes widened, and then the shock set in.

"Wh-wh-what? R-r-really? How is that even..." The shock becoming too much, her eyes became half-lidded, and she collapsed to the ground, but not before Levi caught her.

"Hey, stay with me." He told her.

Lynx only looked at this scene with interest. However, he knew it was time to leave.

"Contact your parents about this. I think my work here's done." He then cut open a portal.

"Wait! What do you mean you're done?"

"I came here to spar with her. You and I both know her immense potential, and even more so with her new powers. Your parents have the best idea about this. It's been a long time since the darkness version of this has happened… not since Quaranius. Anyways, call your parents." He looked back at the two and smirked at them. "I'll be in touch." The portal disappeared.

The two looked at where he was. Jackie's arms continued to glow, which unnerved him.

"I'm going to take his advice. I better get to calling." He said. He laid her down, only to pick her up again, this time on her back. She yelped at his sudden action. "Sorry about that." He only said. He then walked back inside with her, heading up to his room.

"Mirror, mirror, call mom & dad."

"Calling Mom & Dad..."

The mirror changed into the Plurixian King and Queen's forms.

"Levi!" They said.

"Hiya mom, dad."

"Um… why is Jackie on your back? And why are her arms glowing white?" Corrina Anne asked.

"We have… a little situation."

He explained what happened to her. Needless to say, this surprised the husband and wife duo a lot.

"How is this even possible, mom, dad?" He asked.

"We haven't seen this happen since former king Quaranius. But it should be easy enough to explain." Victor said. The two then began to fully explain.

" _There's only so few Plurixians who are able to share their power with a non-Plurixian. More so with those who have the Darkness element, along with Light."_

" _You see, Levi, sharing your power means that your basic energy essences are duplicated and shared to the individual who is closest to you, and not by distance, but by how the heart decides its eventual closeness of relationship along with future events. I know that you are probably thinking, 'If that is the case, why did it not happen to Star?'_ _The answer is simple."_

" _Your heart simply did not choose her. Your friendship with Star transcends that of normal friends and into that of probable siblings, that is true. However, if the heart decides that it isn't her, then it simply won't share off your energies. It doesn't need your opinion, even if your heart is a part of it. That part is separate from the part that rejects Star."_

" _The next issue: Why does she have Light, and not Darkness? That is because when this happens, the individual will develop the exact opposite of the Plurixian's energies. Fire with Water, Earth with Wind, and Darkness with Light. It's also vice versa."_

" _The darkness element being shared is the rarest of them all, what with the Maturation stage affecting them and all. But it seems yours has begun some time ago. It depends on when it has happened."_

" _Usually, the non-Plurixian will show these all so suddenly at one time, simply because the storage of power will overwhelm them and find a way to vent themselves out. Like what you explained earlier, Jackie's manifested when she blasted Lynx with that magical light-variant energy blast. The influx was more than enough to blast its way out. Now, once the excess will have been purged out, the Light energies within her will become self-sufficient, so it no longer requires yours, Levi."_

" _The entire point is this: In a way, Jackie is now part-Plurixian by magic, but not by blood, so she's not considered a full Plurixian. She has powers, and like yours when it manifested, she needs training."_

" _One other thing: The energies she has are at the post-Maturation stage, so this means she has unlocked the full potential of the abilities of the energy. However, it won't be as strong as a full Plurixian's abilities."_

"I don't think your former master will be able to train her, as hers is very different, considering Earth's different characteristics and everything. So-"

"Then I'll do it." He cut in those words.

"Really?" Jackie asked. She felt bad, though, as she thought she was giving him too much to bear, what with him already training her with her preferred weapons and all. "You don't have to do that for me, Levi."

"But I _want_ to. You're my best friend. And as my parents said, whether I can do it or not, you need the training to control your powers. And I don't think I can trust anyone but my master to do it, but since he can't, I'll do it." He told her.

"What if I mess up?"

"Then I'll help you figure out what went wrong and fix it. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Promise you won't get frustrated with me often?"

He smiled. "You bet. I'm not gonna be angry at you, because you're learning too."

She smiled back. "Then I guess you'll take up on that."

"I already did."

The two parents looked on in happiness. They sensed the deep closeness they had. They were happy for their son that he has someone to always be with.

"Do your best, hun." Corrina Anne said.

"I will."

"Do your master proud, Levi. Teach her to the best of your abilities." Victor said.

"I will."

"We love you."

"I love you too."

"Um… mom, dad?" Jackie asked. The two were surprised at that, but they didn't mind.

"Yes, dear?" Corrina Anne asked.

"Is it alright if I can call you that? I mean, you two have been so kind to me that..."

"Oh it's not a problem, Jackie! It's okay if you want to call us that! Honestly, you are someone that I can call my daughter and a part of this family." Victor said.

"I have to agree with my husband. You've been nothing but a good presence and a good person to our son. We'd love it if you want to call us your mom and dad." Corrina said.

She smiled. "Thank you. So much."

"It was our pleasure, dearie." They ended the call.

Levi turned to her and embraced her. She returned the gesture wholeheartedly.

They pulled back. "Nothing bad at all. You're really something, Jackie." He remarked.

She blushed at that. "Thanks, Levi. So when do we start?" She asked.

"Let's start tomorrow, alright?"

"Okay."

With that, they left his room, continuing the rest of the day.

* * *

 **AN: And that wraps up here. I know there's a lot of questions surrounding this.**

 **So Jackie's a Plurixian now!... sorta. Basically she now has her own powers. Namely, Levi's opposite elemental powers. Light. Then there's Hekapoo, who's one of the cutest characters I've seen in the show. I figured, since she'll be appearing in a future episode (and, well, it already has aired), with the description and all, I figured to introduce her in this fanfic by now. She'll also be a major character in Levi's development, as you can already see here in this episode. And then there's Lynx. He's not necessarily a bad guy to him for now, but soon enough, things will change.**

 **Here's a little something: I now remember the reason why I had been inspired to write this story. There was this fanfic I read called 'A Season of Star Vs' by Kieran Wespell (shout-out to this amazing writer if he's still around, which he may not be...), last updated on January 18, 2016. Maybe it's dead, and that's a shame. However, if anyone hasn't read that awesome fanfic I suggest you do so. The tipping point came when he released a two-part episode that had Jackie as the focus of it. I was amazed at how this worked, and the gears turned in my head about how I could do something like this, and then you guys got Levi & Jackie. Obviously this story is very different from his, but I got the episodic format from this story, and inspired by it too.**

 **Now for review responses:**

 **Momijifan Low-Ki: Come on man, be positive! Or well... damn I can't find a way to be positive about what happened in 2016, so you have a point. Either way, always be positive! And keep reading on for this fic!**

 **SJMT shipper: I'll always put out more. So be on your watch.**

 **Chance G: Mmmhmm, yeah. I thought about him at least showing more development and not being too cold of a bad guy. I intend for him to be a bit more 'human'. I'm glad with your review, man.**

 **myla: Thanks. I hope you keep reading. And you'll find out about the mysterious guy soon enough.**

 **Guest: Well, first of all, thanks, and second, how are you going to use my OC? I wouldn't mind, but I need to know how Levi will be used.**

 **Remember to REVIEW guys. I'd love to hear your thoughts. They always help.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys at the next one.**


	17. Year 2 - Saint Olga's

**Got a lot to tell. Read more at the AN at the end of this episode.**

 **St. Olga's Reform School For Wayward Princesses  
Star, Marco, Levi, and Jackie infiltrate the school to rescue Pony Head on her birthday. However, things may be more than it seems for Levi...**

* * *

"Happy birthday, Pony Head." Levi greeted her, showing her a sharpener as his gift. "Just in case, you know, something goes off with your horn." He explained. Pony Head smiled.

"Awww thanks, Levi." She said.

Currently, he was in Star's room along with his best friend and Star. She was dancing around, waiting for her greeting. Levi saw this and laughed. Jackie only smiled.

"You must be Jackie, the girl Star's been talking about who's with Levi." The unicorn princess told the blonde, who nodded.

This was the first time Jackie met Pony Head. To be honest, she felt... strange, meeting someone like Pony Head. Well, there's the obvious fact that she's only a unicorn head, but it was even more so when she learned that Star's best friends with her. The unicorn gave her a smirk.

"Unlike Earth Turd, he's someone you can trust a lot, you know. He's definitely a keeper for you." She teased her, which she blushed. Her statement went unnoticed by the prince, fortunately, as he talked to Star.

"It isn't like that, honest!" She said back. Pony Head gave her a questioning smirk.

"Keep believin' that, girl. It'll come around. He'll come around, and you will too. Trust me."

In the meantime, Levi continued talking with Star.

"You got the cupcakes ready? I know you prepared them just for this occasion." He asked her. She gleefully nodded at that. She took the tray and went over to the mirror.

"Happy Birthday Pony Head! Here's a special delivery coming your way. It's your favorite too." Star then showed her the cupcakes. Needless to say, Pony Head was surprised at the small fireworks that came with the cupcakes. "Only the best for the best bestie a best bestie could ever have." She loved it.

"Too much best, Star..." Levi commented, starting to get a little confused (and a bit dizzy) with her statement. He held his head with his hands to make sure he doesn't feel like he's spinning.

"Oh my goodness! All this for me? Thank you so much, B-Fly!" She said, before pausing and speaking again, only this time, it was completely a different tone, like as if Pony Head wasn't there. "I mean, a princess such as myself would _never, could never_ accept such confections."

This shocked Star, but Pony Head wasn't done yet. "However, these cannot go to waste, so would you be so kind as to donate these to the kind, yet starving bartenders of Galafamor on my behalf?" Even the other two were shocked at the sudden change. Whatever it was, this wasn't the Princess Pony Head they knew. It was like she was more... obedient and proper... two things that are very unlike of Pony Head to show, especially since she's one of the most rebellious princesses in the universe.

"Is there something wrong, Pony Head?" Jackie asked. "Yeah. No wait... did you bump your uni-horn again?" Star chimed in her own question. She was very worried for her other best friend. Pony Head then looked to her left, and then her right, and spoke again to them, this time in a whisper.

"Guys, especially you Star and Levi, you know we can't receive packages from St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses." She explained. Pause. Silence. Nothingness.

And then came Star's loud scream. She dropped the tray of cupcakes and began screaming, "ST. O'S! ST. O'S! ST. O'S!" over and over and over again. She hid into her storage chest, while boots were kicking under the rug. Jackie looked confused, while Levi's expression was best described as stony, almost cold, even. Now Pony Head was concerned for Star.

"B-Fly?" She asked aloud. Said princess peeked out of her hiding place.

"I can't stand it. I can't even take it to hear the name of that accursed... prison!" Star exasperatedly said.

"Is St. Olga's really that bad?" Jackie asked. Both princesses vehemently nodded, with Star shuddering from her boots. "It's a prison here more than a _reform_ _school_. They'll do really bad things to you to make sure you behave like a _proper_ princess." Pony Head explained. "You've gotta be chill, B-Fly. I'm the one doing hard time here!" She added.

"I know, Pony Head, but if you weren't there, we'd definitely partying out here!" Star exclaimed, letting her imagination run like wildfire. Meanwhile the other two standing just stare at Star fantasizing. Levi chuckled, while Jackie looked at him confused. He only grabs her by the shoulders and takes her in his arms. This surprised her a lot. Doesn't stop her from being flushed against him, however. She then breaks free from his grip.

"What was that for?" She asked. He shrugged, continuing to smile. "Dunno what came over me, really." He just laughed it off.

However, in his mind, he felt a dark aura come into his mind when he heard about St. Olga's. When he felt that, he then felt the need to hold onto Jackie. In his lowest times, ever since he had arrived on Earth, she was there for him. She always held onto him, making sure he never falls. She was like the light in the darkness that he cannot escape, in spite of his element. She was his very link and anchor.

' _St. Olga's... why do I feel that something's not right?'_ He thought, when another voice invaded his thoughts. _**'Archives... past... nightmares... family... St. O's...'**_ He holds his head as it aches.

Jackie noticed this and asked in concern, "Are you alright, Levi?"

"Yeah, I'm okay... just a bit of a headache." He answered. They looked back at the mirror, and they saw Pony Head looking very scared.

"Oh no! I expressed my individuality that publicly showed an emotion." She said. She gasped. "And that's also my third strike." She was panicking now as she saw the guards come nearer to her, unseen by the other three. "Oh no. No no no no, please no no! They're sending me to the solitary reforming chamber! STAR! LEVI! HELP MEEEEEEEE!" She yelled out as the guards took her away. With that, the connection between the two mirrors was gone, the call ended, and Star looked on in despair.

"No, Pony Head!" She fell onto her knees. "You don't deserve this girl! And on your birthday too no less!" She cried as the two looked on at her. They looked at each other and nodded. Both walked over to her and each wrapped an arm around her. They also felt her sadness, as the princess definitely did not deserve the punishment that will be inflicted upon her.

"There there. We're just as sad as you are. We'll do something." Jackie comforted her. Meanwhile, Marco came in doing a flurry of karate moves.

"Ready to take out life's frustrations on some ill-intentioned-whoa whoa whoa what happened to you, Star?" He said as he stopped and looked at the three, as Star continued to cry. She went over to hug him.

"This is terrible! Best friends don't let best friends have bad birthday days!"

Levi handed her a box of tissues. "Do you need this?" He asked. She graciously took it, giving him a 'thank you' in return as she blew her nose into the tissue she took out of the box.

"And... Pony Head's having the worst one yet." She said.

The moment Marco heard her name, he didn't exactly want to get involved with it, since he didn't like Pony Head since they met. Heck, she was possessive of Star, she threatened him, and she left him in that arcade, so his dislike was pretty much justified.

He hesitated. "I'm outta here." He said, before being stopped by Levi.

"Hear her out." He only said. Marco nodded and walked back to her.

"We have to get her out of that prison!" She said, in vain because there might not be any way to break her out of the institute.

The gears in the safe kid's mind started to turn. "A breakout! Of course! Why didn't you say so?" He helped her up.

"Wait... but Star, isn't St. O's-" He was cut off as Star panicked again, yelling the words, and Levi felt his head ache, with the same words echoing inside his mind. He also felt like fainting, but Jackie held him to keep him from falling. He looked at her and gave her a smile in thanks. She smiled back in return.

"Um, we haven't even left yet." He spoke aloud. Still, the sound of boots kicking came from the rug, and Star came out behind a clothing rack.

"Sorry." Star said, returning to him. Levi flinched as he saw the rug's movements. It suddenly stopped.

"What the hell's going on under that rug of yours, Star?" He asked. The princess' response was to shake her head.

"I have no idea, but I sure as hell will never, ever step on it again." She said. "Agreed." The others said.

They turned away from the rug and onto each other. "Let's get back to that part about the breakout. We can be able to do this." Marco told them.

"Yeah Marco, but... no one's ever escaped from there... but..." Star trailed off _,_ eventually speaking, "...never mind."

"Don't worry, Star. I've seen every prisoner escape movie made." Marco assured her.

"Cool. I never thought you'd like those movies, Marco." Jackie complimented. He smiled. Rummaging through a drawer, he took out a pin.

"All we need are three things: patience, brains, and the ever-famous multi-faceted bobby pin." He explained.

Star sighed and took out her scissors. "Or, you know, we use my dimensional scissors instead to go straight to her cell and get her the heck outta there!" She cut open a portal. Marco walked out into it, and through the portal he told them, "Um, Star? This place sure isn't Pony Head's cell. Where did you send this portal to?"

Confused, the magical girl peeked out of the portal and walked through as well. The other two followed suit and the portal closed.

"I'm pretty accurate with using these things."

"Something's blocking the magic at this institute. That's the only reason I can think of that's legit." Levi reasoned. They then saw another portal open and a carriage being driven out into the area and in the way of the four. They get out of the way and hide behind some rocks. They then look out on the carriage and five princesses hop out of it.

"I wonder how the cycle goes. Like how much time is it before new princesses arrive." Jackie wondered.

"I'd like to know that too." Levi voiced out.

"Shhhshhh! I can hear voices out there!" Star told them. They listened in more closely.

"Ahhh, so the new arrivals are here. Welcome to St. Olga's School for Wayward Princesses." Miss Heinous' assistant said, almost with unbridled glee. Lightning struck, and Star yelled. Jackie covered her to avoid their cover being blown.

"New arrivals? I got an idea. If we can just blend in somehow, we should be able to get there and sneak inside unnoticed. Now, all we need is a..." Marco said, before being cut off by Star chanting, "Radiant Shadow Transform!" The wand glowed, and it covered her body. Her outfit now resembles more of a pirate's outfit, while still resembling more of a princess. The others widened their eyes, amazed.

"Gotta say, nicely done, Star." Levi commented.

"Your turn, Jackie. Radiant Shadow Transform!" She pointed the wand at Jackie, and her body glowed for a few seconds before disappearing, revealing Jackie wearing a long sea green gown with a yellow headband. Her hair's also tied down to a braid, and her bracelet remains on her right arm.

"Thanks, Star. This fits me just right." She said to Star. Star grinned. "No problem!"

While Marco's excited about the prospect of Star's potential of her spell's effect on him, Levi was downright _dumbstruck_ upon seeing Jackie.

' _Wow... still, she's so beautiful.'_ He thought. She noticed.

"Do you like it, Levi? I noticed, you know." She said to him, causing him to move out of his daze. He blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry for staring. But yeah, I like it. You're more beautiful now. It kinda reminded me of the time in the underworld." He told her calmly, the reddening on his cheeks quickly disappearing. Now it was her turn to blush.

"Do me, do me, Star!" Marco gushed.

"Radiant Shadow Transform!" Star chanted for the third time, and pointed the wand at Marco. His outfit now transformed into... a pink girly gown, along with his normally short hair restyled into a long ponytail. Seeing this, both Jackie and Levi laughed.

"I didn't think you'd look good, Marco!" Levi commented.

"Yeah, but seriously, though, you do look good." Jackie said.

"Awww come on, you couldn't turn me into one of those guards with the cool masks?" He asked her.

"I dunno, Marco. Pink definitely looks good on you! Levi and Jackie sure agree." Star said back. She turned to Levi. "Your turn now, Levi. Radiant Shadow-" She was about to chant before Levi stopped her.

"No need, Star." He simply said.

"What? Why?" She asked.

"I need to do this on my own, but I have to find the connection my family has with this institute." He explained.

"At least let me go with you." Jackie said, concerned for him. He smiled at her. He embraced her.

"I'm sorry, Jackie. This time I have to do this alone. You go with the two of them." He told her.

"But... what if I screw up? Y'know, endanger my friends?" She asked.

"I've trained you for the past month, Jackie. I'm sure you know what to do. You won't screw up, I promise you." Their foreheads touched.

"It's not like I'll be off for a long time. I will be back, don't worry." He said. She turned away from him.

"Alright, but please come back safe, okay?" She asked him. He laughed a bit to lighten up the mood.

"I will, Kie. I will." He pulled away from her and ran away. With that, Jackie turned to the two.

"Ready to go, Jackie?" Marco asked her. She breathed in and out for a bit.

"Yeah. I am now. Let's go." She said. The two nodded, and they sneaked away from their spot and onto the group of new arrivals.

"Keep it single file. Ms. Heinous is eager to start the reformation process." The assistant told them, leading them inside the school. The three silently followed them at the end of the line.

Star looked around and became horrified with her surroundings.

"Ahhhh, Marco! Jackie!" She yelled softly. Jackie covered her.

"Try not to blow our cover. You too, Jackie." He instructed them. They nodded. A guard closed the gate behind them. The lights went off.

* * *

Levi arrived at the back of the institute. He saw two guards standing watch at the door.

' _This should lead to the archives section of St. Olga's. They contain every case file of all the princesses who were registered here... including my own mother.'_ He thought. He used his darkness energy to quickly move above the guards.

"Any plans after today?" The guard on the left asked.

"Maybe just go home. I got no plans tomorrow." The other answered.

"Good. Because you have no plans to do after I'm done with you." Levi spoke from above and the two guards looked up. He jumped at them and quickly knocked them out.

"Hmm... I'm not gonna bother to put on a disguise, but I better hide the bodies." He mused to himself. He quickly disposed of them in the nearby rocks. He went back to the door and calmly walked in. Inside, there were no guards in sight. He was surprised at that.

"Now... where could the archives be?" He wondered, walking along the pathway.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" One guard yelled. He looked at the direction where the voice came from, and saw a bunch more of masked guards. Levi quickly ran away from them. "Get him!" He instructed, and they followed.

As he continued running away from them, he subtly placed traps of any kind thanks to his darkness energy. He set up net traps, cage traps, even spike traps, all with an additional knock-out blast that would set off when caught. He continued running at this pace, the guards being picked off one by one. The one guard who found him continued to dodge the traps that his fellow comrades got caught in. Levi started to get tired from using up most of his energies, and he stopped at a dead end... which turned out to be next to a doorway to the archives. He noticed this.

' _Alright. Looks like my endless running actually helped me find out the archives. Now to just end this stupid idiot...'_

"There isn't supposed to be a boy inside St. Olga's. Surely Miss Heinous will do terrible things to you. If the reformation process for princesses are bad enough, imagine what happens when I deliver her to you. And I will get myself a promotion at that." He warned him. Levi smirked in response.

"Heh. Luckily I don't have to. And you won't get that promotion either." He said, using what's left of his energies to grab the last guard and suffocate him. "Miss... Heinous... will get you..." He said, the last of his conscious breath slipping from his body, leaving him unconscious. Once certain he was down, Levi gently placed him down.

"Not until I know my mom's involvement in this damn institute." He said, mostly to himself, also mostly to the fallen guard. He walked opened the door, walked into the archives, and closed the door. The body of the guard outside disappeared, as if nothing happened.

* * *

Meanwhile, Star, Marco, and Jackie sneak away from the chaos as the guards try to control the princesses after Marco's remark earlier.

"Nice thinking, Marco." Jackie complimented. He blushed at that.

"Errrrm, thanks Jackie." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"This place isn't what I thought-" Star said, before Marco shushed her. The three hid away while a guard passed by.

"Yeah, right as if breaking out Pony Head is going to be a breeze." He said, the three continuing down on the halls. "I'm pretty sure it's just a high-surveillance prissy finishing school." He added.

Star shook her head. "No Marco, it's worse than I imagined. Look you two." She told them, pointing to a room where one of the princesses was being taught.

" _When your heart is filled with sunshine and you're feeling oh so free. All of life is just divine and the world is full of glee!"_ The teacher sang as a bird arrived, whistling, and landed on the princess' finger.

Jackie cringed at that. "That is so terrible. And the rhyming just feels so forced. How will this help them?" She commented.

"You two know the kind of girls that get sent here. They could totally benefit from this." He told them. Star and Marco left, but Jackie stayed a bit more.

The princess ate the bird. Jackie silently gasped. The teacher was mildly annoyed.

"No no no no no." She pulled a lever and another bird was summoned. "You're not leaving until you get this right! Now come on, follow me. _When your heart_..."

At that point Jackie left, unable to take the view anymore. She quickly caught up to the other two. "Oh good god... repeating that shit over and over? No way. No way am I going to take that." She held her head.

"There there, Jackie." Star held her close, trying to help her ease the slight mental pain.

As the three continue looking into the rooms, Marco continued to be more and more amazed at how posh the institute was. He's always had a good eye for luxury items, and he never missed a beat with identifying the items in St. Olga's. He was impressed.

"They have some really good stuff here. Seriously, they've got some seriously luxurious digs." He commented on those items.

"Are you insane, Marco?! This is St. Olga's!"

"Come on, Star! Look at the intricate-"

Jackie drowned out the conversation between the two best friends. Her mind wandered off towards the institute itself. She grew worried about whoever else was sent here. While she hasn't seen yet the truly horrifying things, she saw enough that it has warranted concern for her towards others. And as if the remark about boys was chilling enough... her worries then went over to Levi. As if she didn't need more worries...

"There she is." Marco said, seeing Pony Head staring out the window in her room.

"Alright, good. Now let's blow down the door so we can get outta here." Star said, her wand at the ready, before Marco stopped her.

"No, Star, we have to do this quietly, without drawing any attention." He chided her. Star deflated a bit. She sighed. Jackie meanwhile went to open the door. Star's enthusiasm gets the better of her, however, and she races through bouncing inside.

"Do you want us to get caught?!" She was chided by both Earth teens. She blushed in embarrassment, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck.

"Sorry. Got a little carried away there, hehehehe..."

* * *

"Alright... now... I just have to look for what my mom's time was here." Levi noted as he looked around the dark corridors of the archives. He was using his phone's flashlight as his light source. There were a lot of sections found in the archives, divided by the years.

"980-992... 1095-1100... 2011-present... 1979-1986... 1993-2000... forbidden section... wait, what?"

He decided to go ahead and look at the forbidden section. There contained the most rebellious princesses that were ultimately subjugated into the kind of _'perfect'_ princess. There were also events of the most unfortunate kind. But something else, something that was so separate from the others in the section, caught his eye.

"Huh... Princesses Subjugated Under the 'Legacy Project'..." He took the record book and began to read.

"The Legacy Project, established sometime in 1960... brainwashes princesses into removal of individuality, adding conformity, enslavement & extreme obedience, with future changes... upcoming children will develop rebellious personalities due to genetic recessive brain waves from the special brainwashing... encouraging to be admitted to the institute... rinse and repeat..." He read.

' _I knew this institute was bad, but I didn't knew it would be this fucked up.'_ He thought.

Still, no relation of his mother tied into St. Olga's... until he saw a singular book containing her name.

"What the..." Immediately he took out the book. "...Corrina Anne Yoren, Only Child, Heir to the Plurixian Throne...1986, age 14... First and _ONLY_ escapee of St. Olga's..." The front of the book was a picture of a young Corrina Anne, 14 years old. He widened his eyes.

' _My mom was once sent to this infernal place?!'_ He thought. He continued reading more. He saw more pictures of her during her time there, from her initial picture, to the files and pictures of her under the... Legacy Project... and to her last picture, which was her running from the institute. This unnerved him even more and decided to continue reading to see.

"...Under Headmistress Heinous... She was the final subject to be placed under the Legacy Project before its cancellation... ERROR OCCURRED WHILE SUBJUGATING PRINCESS... TOTAL FAILURE TO CONTAIN PRINCESS, RESULTING IN ESCAPE... Legacy Project was canceled due to her... still showed tiny signs of brainwashing... possibility of future daughter to be enabled into institute..." At this point he did not take reading it anymore. He angrily slammed the book back to the shelf.

' _So that's why she's always had pains and nightmares whenever St. Olga's was a topic... the sleepless nights... the crying even though at her mature age... damn it... she was a **victim** of this place... I will not let my sister get sent here... my mom will get over this... **they are gonna pay.** ' _He looked ahead with fury in his eyes, but then calmly regressed back to his calm state. He walked back outside of the archives.

A few more guards were there, and they spotted him. He did not give any mercy, quickly brutally knocking them out with his darkness energy.

Word reached to Miss Heinous that an uprising was in effect. "An uprising? In my institution? Put St. O's on full lock-down and find the freethinker who initiated this... this... attempt! We will quell this uprising in its infancy!" She paused, wondering. "Quell... quell..." She sighed. "Was that right? Someone get me a thesaurus!"

"Just keep it together, Levi. I just have to find them, especially Jackie..." He said to himself, and began to walk. Just then, he heard the alarms. "Full lock-down, I presume." He quickened his pace, using the darkness to hide whenever he could.

Back with Star, Marco, Jackie, and Pony Head, they were running away from the guards that came from a room.

"Wrong way!" Marco said, they turned around and ran into another room. They, except the subservient Pony Head, barricaded the door.

"Quick! Hide!" Jackie said.

A few moments later, guards burst into the room.

"Search them." One said and noticed Star's feet visible under a curtain.

"Hey!" He called out. They pulled down the curtain, but it was only her boots.

Meanwhile, just as quickly, Miss Heinous and her assistant looked at the now locked-up princesses in their cells.

"We've stifled the uprising. Soon enough, we'll find those responsible, and stifle _them_ in the solitary conformant chamber. Our latest success story, one of the most wayward princesses, Pony Head, is now a model student, reborn!" At that, Pony Head was seen through the window.

"Hmm... yes, I'm glad we _stifled_ the uprising." She paused again. "You know, stifle isn't working for me either. Anyways, prepare the chamber, because _I'm_ leading this princess hunt myself!" As they left, 'Pony Head' was revealed to be a hodge podge of items resembling her, thanks to the items Marco grabbed earlier along with the almost accurate image.

Back with the four, they were running again. They ran into a room.

"Just... _what is_ this place?" Jackie asked.

"We don't know either." Both best friends said. They all heard the dogs bark.

"We have to keep moving." The three said. They nodded, Star taking Pony Head and running out of the room, followed by Miss Heinous, one of her guards, and a pack of dogs.

Marco spotted a laundry chute. "There!" He went over and opened it. Jackie climbed over and inside.

"I'll see you two at the bottom." He told Star as she climbed into the chute with Pony Head still in her arms. Marco then tried, but could not.

"Gah, my poofy dress won't fit!" He said. He felt someone grab him by his feet and pull him.

"Someone's got me! Staaaaaaaar!"

"Marcooooooooo!" Star yelled as she slid down. She continued screaming as Pony Head laughed.

All three then landed at the pile of laundry. They all then rolled off of it.

"Pony Head, you've got to help us save him! We can't do this alone!" Star said.

The princess lashed out, telling them, "A princess who misbehaves will be saved, thanks to the solitary conformant chamber!"

"Why? Why can't you remember who you are?" Star said in despair.

Back with Levi, he continued running around, using the shadows to hide. He then heard Marco's screams.

' _Marco! Something's happening!'_ With that, he quickened his pace even more than last time, using his darkness energy to sense the source of Marco's screams. Once he found out, he grew even more pissed off.

"The solitary conformant chamber?! No way! I AM NOT LETTING THEM!"

"Embrace a princess mentality... wash away your individuality?!" Star gasped in indignation at the poster's message. "Embrace _this_!" She threw a broom at the poster, before just lying back onto the wall and crying, giving up hope. Jackie came over to her and held her close.

"It's okay, Star... it's okay." Jackie reassured her. Pony Head meanwhile, raked the poster with her horn, laughing.

"That feels sooo good! Yahoo!" She cheered. Star looked up and saw her.

"You're back!" She came over and hugged the unicorn princess.

"Damn straight I am back, girl! Now let's go destroy something!" They then heard more screams and now pained laughter.

"Wait a second..."

"MARCO!" All three girls gasped.

"Miss Heinous must've gotten him!" Star said.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for, then?! He's your best bestie, right?" Star responded with a resolute nod. "Oh, and nice to meet you, Jackie. You're not looking bad, girl." She greeted the skateboarding girl.

"Same here, Pony Head. Now let's go!"

Everyone ran out of the room. Star commanded Pony Head to drill open a vent, and the Mewnian and human crawled in once done.

"Just keep screaming, Marco!"

"Hold on Marco!" Levi shouted as he ran. He blasted the door to the other side of the chamber (the one not with the authorities) open with a darkness blast, and he quickly saw Marco. At almost the same time, Star blasted off the exit of the vent and jumped out, followed by Jackie. Levi destroyed the shackles caging Marco.

"We're gettin' you outta here, Marco, so are you cool with it?!" Star said.

Miss Heinous was more shocked about where Star's wand came from. "Just... where did she get that wand?! Guards! Capture them!" She instructed. They surrounded the five.

"Star, Marco, Pony Head, go. We'll take care of this." Jackie said to them.

"Are you sure you two can take them on, Jackie? We can always help." Pony Head asked.

"Are you kidding me? When we fight together, we almost have perfect synergy. No one can stop us together." Levi said. The guards inched closer.

"GO!" They both said.

They ran off, but not before Star released a magic spell summoning a swarm of butterflies.

With no more distractions, the two then leaned over back-to-back. Jackie's bracelet transformed into twin daggers, while Levi possesses a broadsword. They spun around, assessing. They looked back towards each other and then nodded. In a swift motion, Jackie threw her daggers backwards and did a backflip kick, each foot striking the daggers, aimed at two of the guards. Levi meanwhile spun and crouched, throwing the broadsword at the other three guards. The weapons each struck them, rendering two stuck to the walls through their shoulders, while the other three had their feet bleeding. The two looked back and nodded at each other again. They both spun around, their weapons dissipating. They roared and charged at the guards. The guards, who were bloodied and dazed, never did stand a chance against them, as they were outmatched and knocked out with a few strong punches and kicks.

More appeared. This time, the girl jumped onto the prince's back, and they both summoned their energies to strike them with a combination beam of darkness and light streams. All but one was taken down, the remaining one using a portal to escape. Suddenly, another portal appeared above the two, and the last guard took them down. Unfazed, they simply blasted him away with their energies. They stayed still for a good fifteen seconds, checking to see if there were still anymore guards, before standing up. They noticed that the headmistress was gone during all the chaos.

"Nice work, girl. You did well." Levi complimented her. She smiled and nodded.

"I'm just trying to pattern my style after you." She simply said.

"Well, let's get going."

Unbeknownst to the two, the headmistress and her assistant were still there, simply hiding instead. It was then that her assistant noticed her cheeks.

"Your cheeks! They're glowing!" He pointed out. Her cheeks were exhibiting clover marks, similar to Star's hearts. Miss Heinous gasped in shock.

"No no, stop it! Stop it! This isn't supposed to be happening! You saw nothing!" She said, panicking. The chamber still fully operational along with the video screen, she immediately jumped onto the chair, holding her eyelids open as the video continued playing. In a trance-like tone, she followed, "A princess always maintains her poise."

Back with our two heroes, they saw all the princesses just barge out of their cells and out of St. O's, cheering and screaming and yelling. They caught up to the other three, who were just seeing the tower blocking the dimensional rift signals break in half, falling down. They all then saw the other princesses dancing happily. Other guards came, but they quickly fought them off.

"Looks like you've done something great here, Marco." Levi said.

"Well... I felt it was the right thing to do." He said.

"Not that we don't want to stay, but we have to go. This has been quite a day, running around, fighting and stuff, and meeting Pony Head too." Jackie said, with Levi nodding. She noticed something different within her best friend. She felt like he was... angered? Tired? Calmly pissed off? She couldn't pinpoint the exact feeling. She'll ask him when they get home. Pony Head noticed the concern on Jackie, and almost immediately understood.

"Alright then, if you guys say so. Hey, maybe I'll come by again soon!" She said, as Levi opened the portal.

"See you guys." He said, waving goodbye as they got back in Levi's room, now at night. In her exhaustion, Jackie simply just laid down on his bed, uncaring about her wearing a dress. Levi meanwhile, did the same, closing his eyes.

"I know something's up. What happened with you in that school?" She asked.

"I found out the source of my mom's nightmares, pains and headaches. She was once sent to that infernal place." He bitterly and coldly told, shocking her.

"Oh... oh my god. Levi... I'm so sorry for your mom." She said, getting closer to him.

"It's... it's okay. But..." He stood up.

"... let me do this one more time. It won't be long." He cut open a portal and went in.

' _Levi...'_ The blonde thought in sorrow and worry.

"If your elbows are on the table, then you belong in a stable." Miss Heinous said, her clover marks disappearing from her cheeks. She felt them gone and smiled in relief. "Ahhh, there. Much better."

She then picked up the bobby pin Marco had left out and went back to her office. From her shelf of books, she picked up one called, "Black Metallurgy and Ores of the Multiverse" and went to a table of test tubes and other liquids and experimental stuff. She dropped the pin into a boiling test tube. The liquid inside turned green. She looked back to the book, and saw the indicator of green color... Earth.

"From Earth, I see. Hmm... I will find the rebel-rousers responsible for this and annihilate them! Annihilate..." She smiled again. "... that's the word I've been looking for!"

She looked up to the door, and saw Levi there, back leaning at the door. She jumped at his presence.

"Who are you?!" She asked in defense of herself. He only walked slowly.

"Who am I? My name is Levi Yoren."

' _Yoren... from Plurix?!'_ She thought. She was never given more time as she was cornered by the prince. Frigidly, he looked at her right in the eyes.

"Listen and listen good. I am not someone whom you want as your enemy. However, I took some time to check the archives. I found my _mother's_ name and database and I found that she was the last one to be placed under the Legacy Project, but was able to escape. Unfortunately, she had some remnants from her time there, including what you _monsters_ fucking did to her during the Legacy Project. You gave her so much pain that even at this age, even after so long, she has nightmares about the place and what had happened to her."

"Needless to say, I am not pleased. No, I'm pissed off. As her son, as a prince, and not only that, as a _brother to a younger princess_ , I have no tolerance for this infernal school. You will not get my sister in this place, you will most certainly not get my mother, and you have, unfortunately, made me your enemy."

Miss Heinous was known to be a very stern and very strict person, never being afraid. Here, however, she was at his mercy. And she was cowering.

"What you did to these princesses is terrible enough. Having my mom subjugated into this kind of shit is _**unforgivable.**_ "

"So... here's my first and _**final warning to you.**_ Do not harm my friends, especially Jackie... or else _**YOU WILL** **EXPERIENCE THE WORST KIND OF PUNISHMENT AND** **BE HAUNTED FOREVER BY ME!** **DO YOU** **UNDERSTAND?!**_ "During the midst of his words, his eyes turned pure black, and his aura turned black as well, the temperature around them becoming very cold. All the headmistress could do was nod vigorously in fear.

Levi realized what was happening to him and his eyes returned to his usual hazel-irised hue. He breathed heavily, worriedly looking at the headmistress, who was now looking away from him, covering her head with her hands. He realized his actions in shock.

"Oh god... I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. Still, however, my warning still stands. Harm my friends, especially Jackie, and you will pay." He said in a slightly tired tone. He still stared at the fearful headmistress, who was now just crying for him to get away. He could hear apologies about his mom from her.

' _I didn't think I'd scare her so easily... but... what the hell just came over me?'_

"I really hope you'd consider my warning." He lastly said, before cutting open a portal back to his room. All the headmistress could do was faint after so much crying.

* * *

When he came back, he saw the skateboarding girl asleep on his bed, still in her dress. He smiled. He covered her with a blanket, and then lied down beside her. He did best not to get too close to her, in fear of what would happen.

"Goodnight, Jackie." He said.

"Mmm... night... Levi..." She said as she continued sleeping. He closed his eyes, sleep quickly taking over him.

"This isn't good... it's beginning to act up now... so can you be able to fight it?" From outside his home, the same man many times from before spoke up.

Lastly, a voice spoke out, **"The darkness approaches, and soon, it will take over. I will be free!"**

It ends with a haunting laugh. Despite that, the two continued to sleep in peace and bliss.

* * *

 **AN: First, I'm glad this was over. I wanted this to be done by the time 'Heinous' was released, what with the relation between this and that, but school has been giving me very little time for writing. Did any of you expect what would've happened with Levi's part of the story here?**

 **Second... holy crap and every other curse word I could curse and utter, Starcrushed has utterly screwed up my long-term plans. Still, great finale, though. I thought I could oversee what happens with my fic, but the season 2 finale has changed things even more than Storm the Castle or any other big episode I've watched. I've been doing adjustments since then. The biggest question coming with the change is, well, what's the biggest change from all of this, and how do I fix it?  
**

 **Thing is, I thought Star would still be on Earth post-season 2, but with Starcrushed, everything has changed. Then there's the relationships thing. Marco, Jackie, Star, Levi, and even Hekapoo (Oh gods... with what happened with the Magic High Commission...), that's gonna factor in as well. And of course, Toffee, Glossaryck, and Ludo. They also factor in.**

 **Either way, this will all be interesting from here on out. Season 3 couldn't wait any longer. I am so curious about what's gonna happen, especially with Star and Marco, and what's gonna change too.**

 **So, with all this done, what did you think of this rewrite of St. O's? Please let me know with your reviews. As I've said tons of times, this is really helpful, so please keep them coming.**

 **Thanks to my reviewers since my last update. Here's my responses:**

 **Guest: Well, go ahead. I'd love to read your fic to see how my character goes, so let me know.**

 **Dinodude: Yup, you said it.**

 **Guest Sorta: With Jackie having powers now, things will really get interesting with the two.**

 **Chance G: Hmmm... I wonder... Oh, and definitely, Sleepover's a big rewrite for me.**

 **Momijifan Low-Ki: I don't think I've seen anyone else use the girl have powers. Reasons for sure, but I wanted to give it a try. And I think it was awesome.**

 **Thanks for reading this chapter, and I'll see you guys in the next one.**


	18. Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013, Prologue

**Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013**

 **Prologue: Lost**  
 **Our duo get sucked into the war between Cosmos and Chaos, and they wander around the new world they had gotten themselves into, with lost memories.**

* * *

"So who's your favorite character to play so far?" Jackie asked. The two were just chilling in the living room, as the girl watched Levi play the game on the PlayStation Portable.

"Definitely Gabranth. As long as I can play keepaway while I charge up, which I'm pretty good at, he's pretty much OP." He answered her question. Indeed he was currently playing the former judge magister, against his same-game rival, Vaan. Currently it was a standstill, both warriors having lost a significant amount of health points. However, Gabranth's EX Gauge was nearing its full bar, meaning he can now start really going on the offensive. The CPU-controlled Vaan, in an effort to stop that from happening, bombarded him with elemental and physical attacks.

Try as he might, however, Levi's control with Gabranth was almost masterful, continuously dodging and avoiding seriously grievous attacks, all the while preparing for his trump card. Levi grinned.

"You're mine." He said. He activated EX Mode.

" _Hatred is what drives me!"_ Gabranth said, the helmet donned now. Quickly, Levi used an attack to gain the upper hand and activate the ultimate. Vaan is struck, and they enter Gabranth's EX Burst.

Mercifully, the relentless assault on the explorer ended quickly. _"Surrender now to oblivion!"_

The final blow was given, and Vaan gave out a pained scream. Levi put down his handheld on the table. He looked at his housemate, who just kept looking at him and smiling at him.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Well... you ever imagine what it would be like if we were in that world? There's surely a dimension for it, right?" She asked. This caused him to pause and think.

"Huh... y'know, I actually do sometimes. I love this game, and it's pretty interesting to see what we can do in the story. Obviously everything changes once we interfere in some sort, but that's part of it, and I would like to see that. Although for it to have its own dimension... I think that's unlikely." He answered.

"Huh? Why do you think so? I mean, there's no way there's no dimension for Final Fantasy, right? You remember back a few days since arriving here, that we went back in time to the events of AC Unity? That's how I know these kinds of dimensions exist." She said.

"But remember, that meant that the events of Unity was real. I don't know how the guys at Ubisoft did it, but all those major events were accurate on point." He said back.

"C'mon, you have to be at least hyped at the chance of meeting those heroes in Final Fantasy. I know I am, especially with Lightning."

"Her, really? Then again, I do kinda like her. But obviously there's Cloud from VII. I wanna meet him the most, but then again, almost everyone wants to meet him. Hey, why not Terra?" At that, her eyes widened.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Him too! So awesome!" She gushed. He smiled at her joy.

"As much as I want for us to believe, though, we can only dream these things. There's no way there can be a dimension like that." He sadly said.

"Come on, don't be like that." She said. He shrugged. "Can't help it, really."

The two then left the house for their adventures.

The day could not have come much quicker than that.

In the short time Levi's been on Earth so far, he's quickly grown to be a fan of the Final Fantasy series. Jackie helped introduce him to it, and it's only recentlythat he's able to play Dissidia. He's played 7 up to 13, though he wished to also play the older games too. He'll have to settle with knowing the former games' characters through Dissidia.

Even in his sleep, Levi felt something was off. Terribly off. He could feel something shift underneath the ground he was sleeping on.

Wait... ground? Shouldn't he be in bed?

He quickly opened his eyes and stood up.

All around him he saw places that were almost like pieces in a puzzle, in which that if you had assembled them correctly, they would resemble-

"A castle?" He guessed. Also, he saw the skies littered with dark blue portals not like the dimensional portals he opens with his dimensional scissors.

' _This is strange...'_ He thought, and then part of the ground disappeared, leaving it blue from where he stood, much like the outline of the portals he saw. He then saw that same part appear somewhere else, merged with another. He then saw the same happen with other parts.

"Where am I..." He wondered, walking on around the place that is The Rift.

* * *

"Fucking headaches..." Jackie moaned as she woke up. She found herself in a fortress. But almost without warning, she was blown away by a strong wind. "Gaaahhhh!" She exclaimed, barely able to resist the wind before she impacted the wall behind her. She used her light powers to make a shield for herself against the wind. It was now merely a breeze for her. She ran ahead to the front end of the fortress, and saw the ground below her.

"Whoa! I'm certain I'm not in... wherever the hell I was earlier." She noted. She's got to be at least three hundred meters above the ground.

"Just... where the hell am I?" She asked aloud, hoping someone was there.

"You're in Sky Fortress Bahamut. Probably the only headquarters, aside from Order's Sanctuary, that we have." A female voice spoke from behind her. The blonde skateboarder turned around. There she saw a woman in robes, wielding some sort of wand/scepter.

"You must be lost. I'm Yuna. Nice to meet you!" The summoner greeted. Jackie did not know what to make of this.

"Um... hi, Yuna. I'm Jackie Lynn Thomas." She greeted back. She reached out her hand to her, which she cheerfully accepted and shook.

"Well now, what brings you here? Especially to war?"

"War? What do you mean?" At that, Yuna looked at her in surprise.

"Oh my." She only said, before they were interrupted by another figure.

"Is there something that seems to be the problem, Yuna?" This time, a pinkette appeared, wearing what looks like to be her customized battle armor.

"Oh, sorry, Lightning. It seems we have another participant in the war with Cosmos against Chaos." The brunette explained.

"Hmmm... another one... we haven't had another new one since the 10th..." She mumbled, before she noticed Yuna's stare. "What?" She asked, with Yuna's answer being a gesture towards the newcomer. She widened her eyes, but only for only a few moments before realizing what she meant. "Oh, right, sorry. I'm Lightning Farron." She introduced herself. Jackie did the same.

All the while, Jackie was lost in thought. _'War? Cosmos? Chaos? Yuna? Lightning? All of this seems familiar... OF COURSE!_ _I'm in the dimension of Dissidia! I told you so, Levi! I told you so- I, oh god..._ _'_

"Is everything alright, Jackie?" Yuna asked her, breaking her out of her thoughts. She shook her head.

"No, everything is fine. Just... it's all something to wrap my head around... tough..."

Lightning spared no glance. "Well, you'll have to take it all in quickly, because we'll need all the help we can get."

The blonde looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Manikins. They're imitations of the participants of the war, subservient to Chaos and his forces. They're easy enough to destroy, but they can overwhelm you if their numbers exceed the limit you can go." The pinkette further explained.

"I see.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Jackie. I hope the others can take kindly to your appearance." Yuna said, before returning inside to the fortress. The remaining two then looked out towards the distance.

"Jackie... how old are you?" Lightning asked.

"I'm 15. Why?" The light-affinity based girl said. The former commander pondered for a bit.

"You're... you're not too young to face these kinds of adversaries, are you? These experiences can break someone. Especially at your age." Truthfully told, when she heard how old the girl was, she was a bit worried for her safety and mental well-being. She's seen how Hope's resolve weakened, not only due to his mother's death, but also due to becoming a l'Cie, thus nearly breaking him, but he was strong, and he pulled through. She's hoping the same pain won't happen with the teenage girl.

Jackie shook her head. ''Nope, I'm used to these things. Back home, we always fight with someone. My best friend's... my best friend's..." She trailed off, trying to remember.

"Is something wrong?" Lightning asked.

She quickly shook her head again. "No... it's fine. What's the word... nemesis! Yeah, I guess nemesis is a good description for it."

Internally, though, she was almost a different person, shaken. _'Why... why can't I remember much?'_ She then saw vivid images of not only her, but a boy who's been with her throughout a lot of adventures.

' _Is that... Levi? Why... why am I having memories of him? And why him alone? Where are my memories? And... where is he?'_ These thoughts ran in her head.

"... kie... Jackie... Jackie! Are you still there?" Lightning called her.

"Huh, oh, Lightning! I'm so sorry, I just got so lost in thought that I almost forgot it was just the two of us and things are starting to come to me and-"

"It's alright, Jackie. But I want to gauge your power. You said that you're used to these kinds of things. Well, I want to see that resolve. To show me something. So with that in mind, may we have a little spar?"

Her response was a resolute nod. "I'll do my best. I want to prove to you that I can be strong to fight in the war you guys are embroiled in."

Lightning's response was a small smile. "That's what I want to see from you. Now, get ready!" With her gunblade she shot at the young fighter, to which she responded with her bracelet transforming into two gauntlets. She further responded by sending light-based magic projectiles, each which Lightning skillfully and gracefully avoided. Jackie only smirked.

"Try again, Lightning." She only said. The pinkette commander looked at her in confusion before looking behind her and saw the same projectiles she dodged still coming at her. This time, she used her gunblade to deflect them.

"Fira!" She said, casting medium-sized fireballs at the blonde. The pseudo-Plurixian turned her gauntlets into daggers, slashing through the fireballs. Lightning was surprised at this and could only barely react as she blocked her attacks. Her surprise increased as Jackie blasted her with a light beam, one of her daggers disappearing, then quickly reverting back to her dagger.

Lightning retreated back, using her cure magic to heal herself. However, she left herself open, but as Jackie bombarded her with physical attacks, Lightning continued to defend herself while healing herself as well.

"Let's see you take this on." With almost inhuman speed, she blitzed through the blonde fighter and struck with a flurry of physical attacks. This was her special drive, her signature maneuver: Army of One. The last strike sent her to the wall, but not before she sent a light crystal towards her, which exploded, sending her back the opposite way. And before she knew it, Jackie was on her already, staff at the helm.

"HRAAAAAHHHH!" She struck her right at her lower body, slamming her down to the floor. Jackie huffed and panted.

' _She's unfazed?! Even with my Army of One?! Just how is she able to do these at once? It's amazing what she can do. But before I could fully trust her, I'll need to see what she can do under duress.'_ Lightning noted, smiling inside. She rolled back, facing her once more.

"Not bad, Jackie. Let's see you try this on. Summon: Odin!"

The said summon appeared alongside her. Jackie widened her eyes at that. "Whoa... to think I'll see this summon so fast..."

Lightning quickly brought her back to the current situation, however. "Try not to be so amazed, as we're still fighting!" Her gublade was gone, replaced with two scythe-looking weapons.

' _This is so unfair... but this is exactly where I wanna be in. Let's go!'_ Jackie thought to herself, determined. Her dagger transformed into a longsword.

"You still want to prove yourself?" Lightning asked.

"Of course I still want to, Light!" Jackie said, only to be struck back by Odin.

"Then get ready for more, then."

At that, Jackie smirked, her longsword burning bright with light energy.

"I'm always ready." And with that, she sped forward, leaping at Lightning.

* * *

"Hmmmm. This is interesting. What's someone like you doing here?" Levi heard from behind him as he traversed the fields. He turned around. He saw the one individual who's held his curiosity the most among the individuals in the war.

The wielder of Masamune. The One-Winged Angel. Sephiroth.

' _So it's him. Strange, meeting him.'_

"I have no idea. I only woke up somewhere and just, you know, decided to walk around." He explained to the swordsman. He chuckled.

"Everyone would say that. I have as well. We all began that way, ever since the first cycle of war. This is the twelfth. Strange. I didn't think we'd get another player in the war. There's already so many, from both sides." He mused.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Levi asked him.

"Well... I forgot to introduce myself, have I? My name is Sephiroth."

"I'm Levi Yoren."

"Levi Yoren... that's a rather nice name. And how old are you?"

"15, sir."

He was surprised at both his age and his sudden politeness. "You're not too young to fight, are you?"

"No sir. And don't mind the 'sir' thing. Force of habit." At that, the silver-haired swordsman nodded.

"Sephiroth." Someone called out to him. Both turned to see Cloud Strife.

"Cloud." He said back. Levi's eyes widened.

' _So it's true... I am in the dimension of Dissidia Final Fantasy. Curse you for proving me wrong, um, er... who...'_ Try as he could, he wasn't able to dig deep into his memories. However, he did see glimpses of his adventures with a girl. His very companion. _'Jackie... right. Ugh, why am I getting this?'_

"It seems our friend spaced out on us." Sephiroth said, knocking Levi back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. It's just... these memories... they're locked into just a specific thing." He explained.

"Memories? I see. That makes things a little bit more sensible." Sephiroth told him, getting a look of understanding.

"What do you mean?"

Cloud took over to explain. "In each cycle of war, the losing side has their memories locked away and forgotten. Chaos has won five of the eleven cycles, the previous being the third consecutive victory."

"Do the members change sides?"

"No. Not really."

"So where are the rest?"

"Like me and Sephiroth, they've all split up, heading to different places. Soon enough we'll all be gathered for another meeting."

And soon enough, they heard from within their minds a certain sound. Levi did not understand what it meant, but the two immediately knew what it was about.

"Looks like that meeting is sooner than we thought. Come, Levi. We'll introduce you to the rest of Chaos's legion." Sephiroth told him, beckoning to come along as the duo were leaving.

Internally, he felt that he shouldn't, since he knows that the others he'll be meeting are infamous for their actions in their specific worlds. He should know. He's played the story modes from both games, and has a semblance of knowledge of the heroes and villains from each game. From Emperor Mateus to Ultimecia to Kefka, he knew that each one cannot exactly be trusted. But then he remembered that he was in the twelfth cycle, meaning there are some others who aren't on the respective sides come the thirteenth cycle, like the spiky blonde Buster Sword wielding former soldier. He may have to just stick with what he has for now, and side with Chaos.

"Are you coming or not?" Cloud asked, breaking the prince from his reverie.

"Wait up!"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Another fighter in this war? Or another puppet for me to control?" Kefka said as the rest of Chaos's fighters gathered at the Edge of Madness, otherwise known as Chaos's throne.

"Kefka, please do refrain from terrorizing the young one. He's quite young and relatively new here."

"Awwww, is something the matter, Sephy? Or are you afraid for the boy?" The clown asked, his voice gaining a sadistic tone, along with a grin. Though if Levi had to be honest with himself, he wasn't afraid at all. Matter of fact, he looked a bit bored, even.

"Regardless, who is this individual you brought with, Sephiroth, Cloud?" Ultimecia asked.

"This... is Levi Yoren. We only found him somewhere in the Rift wandering around." Cloud explained and then simply left them. Of course, there was Garland, Ultimecia, The Emperor, Kefka, Exdeath, Golbez, and Sephiroth himself on the circle.

As they conversed, possibly about him, considering he was new and all, he took a look around the place as he observed the other individuals. Kuja looked like he was in deep thought. There was no sign of Jecht, though he realized he was still on Cosmos's side, and in his stead was a furious-looking Tidus. The Cloud of Darkness was simply looking around as well. No he wasn't distracted by her clothing... or lack thereof. In the meantime, Cloud was just sitting by. Gabranth... well, he obviously isn't there. And then there of course, was Terra. She looked a bit afraid. As if she didn't belong here.

' _Of course she doesn't belong here you idiot. She's under that damned clown's control.'_ He thought to himself. He decided to come over to her and talk.

"You must be Terra Branford." He said. She then looked back to him.

"Yeah. Are you new here?" She said, fully turning to face him. They both sat down.

"Pretty much. I'm Levi Yoren." He said. It felt so different watching the different cutscenes about her unfold compared to actually meeting the beautiful esper.

"Well, you already know my name. I want to know more about you. You seem nice. You feel... different, compared to the others here, except for Cloud."

"Strife or Darkness?"

"What are you- Strife of course!" She giggled. He smiled at that.

"Well, there are two Clouds here, so I got confused. Thanks for clearing that up." He said, but she had a glint in her eyes.

"You knew, didn't you?" He could help but smile a bit wider, eventually giggling as well.

"Guilty as charged. Just thought about lightening the mood."

"Well, thanks."

"I think we'll be good friends from this point onwards."

"I'd like to think of that as well, but-" She then felt her power fluctuate again.

"No, not now! Please, make it stop! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT-AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Terra yelled out, glowing. Immediately he turned to look at Kefka, who had a grin and an outstretched arm.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Oh come on, dear boy, you really didn't think we'd let you fight without seeing how you'd fare in battle? The girl's your opponent, and I forcefully made her dormant esper powers appear again. So if you want her to be back to normal, you have to beat her! Now dance for us! DANCE!" He ended his explanation with a cruel laugh.

"You have no choice, Levi. I do apologize for this _blasted clown's_ behavior." Sephiroth sadly told him.

"That's alright. Now, since you want me to show you what I can do..."

' _And I'll make that clown bastard pay for what he's doing to Terra.'_ His arms turned black.

"... I'll gladly do so, if it means that I can help Terra calm down her powers." He looked back at the now-transformed esper. He took note of her appearance.

' _Lack of clothing... again, and worse than Cloud of Darkness. Seriously, what is up with these kinds of things?!'_ He thought, internally groaning, before he felt a torrent of water rise above him. He jumped out of it's path, but not before being struck with a second rising torrential geyser. He recovered quickly before sending black spines towards her.

Terra made good work of her magic, using the wind to deflect the rushing spines back towards the prince. He made a shield to block out the returning spines.

' _She's suffering. She doesn't want to hurt me. But she's being forced to. Not to mention, her powers are very volatile. I have to find a way.'_

Her elemental magic was proving to be troublesome for him. She continued to send flurries of her magic. She bombarded him with fire blasts and ice beams, and when he defended himself from them, she would switch out with her flooding magic. And when _that_ was avoided, she would control the gravity around him to slam him down.

"Damn it... this is getting too much." He said. Terra was now quickly on him again.

"Let's try this..." He said, sending dark hands towards the speeding esper, binding her. However, she quickly cut herself out of the binds, but was then blasted by dark energy. He clasped his hands and slammed down to the ground, imprisoning her, but she also got out of that too. He then threw dark chakrams and shurikens towards her, but she used her magic to effortlessly deflect them. He smirked, however, despite that. Even in her current state, Terra wondered why he was confident. Her answer would be given as she felt something beneath her. She looked down and there was a glowing black sigil. She realized it was a trap. He snapped his fingers, and she quickly avoided the sigil, which then summoned a creature.

' _He was able to use his magic that quickly and simultaneously?!'_ Most of them thought.

Now it was Terra who was on the defensive.

"I never noticed it that much, but you're having fun, aren't you?" He asked her, as his summoned creature snarled.

"I... I guess I am. I don't know why. I don't want to fight anyone. But with you... it feels like... I'm free... from everything..."

"Just let yourself be free. Things mean more when you're free." He simply told her. "Oh, and by the way..."

The creature clawed its way towards her.

"DODGE!"

Among the others, Kefka was fuming. "How _dare_ that pretty boy! They should be fighting to an inch of their lives, not having fun!"

"Hmmm... it seems there's a winch in his plans." The Emperor noted.

"Indeed. But the boy shows promise. He'll be valuable to our efforts." Ultimecia said.

"This is _unfaaaiiiiirrr_! That pretty boy is going to pay for this! _"_ Kefka cried.

' _Looks like they're impressed so far. Well done, Levi. Maybe you can help in my efforts to gather my memories, along with Cloud's.'_ Sephiroth thought as he observed the others, smirking.

The two were now smiling and laughing along as they continued to fight, the creature destroyed by Terra's efforts.

' _I think I got through to her now... I'm glad she's alright... for now.'_ Levi thought to himself, smiling. _'But I still have to prove myself.'_

"Let's do this, Terra. Our strongest attacks." He told her. She nodded.

"Riot Blade!" Terra yelled out, her arms forming an X-shape. The magic blades shot through.

"Darkness Desperation!" Explosive darkness energy shot out of his arms.

The two attacks clashed with burning energies. The dust soon settled.

And they both stood across each other, Terra's esper magic receding, and Levi panting.

"Draw." They both said.

* * *

They continued to fight. It was almost beautiful to see Jackie holding her own against Lightning and her summon, which made it harder for her. But she gradually wore down Odin following attack after attack. But she knew she was at the end of her rope too. So she gathered her strength for one more strike.

"This is it!" Jackie said, her longsword glowing pure white, slashing through Odin. It roared in pain. Lightning looked at her, more surprised. However, she recovered as she slammed her gunblade at her back, crashing her to the ground.

"You did great, Jackie. To think you'd be able to nearly match Odin, something no one has ever done before. Welcome to the team." Lightning said, smiling at her as Odin reverted back to it's original gem form. Jackie panted.

"Yayy... I think I'll go to sleep now..." She said, closing her eyes and falling asleep. Lightning continued to smile at her.

"Who's this, Light?" Tifa Lockhart appeared, asking her.

"Her name's Jackie, and she's one of us now." The pinkette answered.

* * *

 **AN: I'm glad I got this one done before the month ended.**

 **The first half of March was not kind to me. I thought I almost lost a really close friend, I resented myself for it, hurt myself, doubted my own self-confidence and all, but it's all good now. I'm happy I have my friend again. And it wasn't just my personal problems that kept me from continuing to write. Research almost killed me. But it's over now, at least. My school year's ended, and I can focus more now on writing again. And all is almost right with the world.**

 **Now, what's this all about? Well, as I've said before, there will be crossovers with other universes. This happens to be one of them, and I'd say my biggest crossover event planned so far. I loved playing Dissidia Final Fantasy, from both the original and Duodecim. I loved everything about it. And now, I'm going to integrate the story and universe into Levi & Jackie. This is most likely a five-part story arc. With the fact that they don't have much of their memories to begin with, they don't know how to return to their dimension. The story of Dissidia will still follow, but there will be changes made due to the two's involvement. Oh, and also, Star and the others will not appear in this story arc. I intend to try and give more character development for the duo.**

 **Also, this story has now reached more than 7,500 views now. I'm happy with that, overjoyed really. I'm glad that there's always going to be people who'll read this story.**

 **Now for review responses:**

 **kylegriggs13: First of all thanks for reading through the story so quickly. Well, for your speculations, you're right for the most part. But there's more in store.**

 **Momijifan Low-Ki: Only one could be so afraid of what's within the prince. And is it a devil? Soon enough you'll know. Thanks, man. I appreciate it.**

 **Chance G: Yeah, I hope so too that Season 3 will be out sooner. And thanks, man. Appreciate it too.**

 **So, until then.**


	19. Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013, Part 2

**Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013**

 **Part 2: Dissolution  
Despite the war that is going on, the duo want nothing to do with it, fueled by their only remaining memories of each other. They go on and try to look for the other, only to be tested in their resolve to find each other.**

 ** _Disclaimer: Forgot to do this in the introductory chapter of this crossover arc. I do not own anything copyright-related to Dissidia Final Fantasy, or even Final Fantasy in general. Same goes for Star vs. the Forces of Evil._**

* * *

"Is this how meetings go?" Levi asked Cloud as they all converged at the center after his grueling test battle against Terra.

"Pretty much. We're actually just beginning the cycle." The former soldier answered.

"Really? I thought I got here in the middle of the war." He said back, perplexed. The spiky blonde shook his head. They both then listened to Chaos.

"So it seems we have a newcomer to the war." The demonic being spoke.

"Indeed. We have tested him, and we believe he's ready." Sephiroth said, backing up Levi.

"Does anyone else object to his statement?" Chaos asked. No one else answered.

"No objections. You may all go. You all know what to do. The manikins are on our side, so use that to your advantage." He lastly said, and everyone did as he said, but not before calling out Levi.

"What is it?"

"You're a strange individual, Yoren. I know none of your intentions, but know that I'll be watching." He warned him. With that, the demonic being disappeared. Levi was left alone, until Terra called out to him.

"Levi! Come on!" He saw her waving towards him. He was about to walk towards her when he was bombarded with mental pain and flashes of memories. He clutched his head in pain.

' _Ugh... why... why am I getting these things? What are they trying to tell me? And why can't I remember anything else but her? What is it that these memories are getting at?'_ He thought. Terra witnessed this and hurriedly went over to the prince.

"Is there something wrong, Levi?" She asked in concern. He moaned in pain. He went down on his knees.

"No, just... the memory bombardment's overcoming me." He explained. She gained a look of understanding and nodded. Her hands glowed with light bluish magic, placing them over Levi's head.

"Here, let me try and help." She said. He smiled and chuckled. She noticed the expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Heh, no, you remind me of... her... Jackie. My best friend. She's also in this world, but we were separated. Something tells me she's part of Cosmos." He told her. Terra kept silent as she continued to relieve Levi of the mental pain.

"The memories... it's somewhat something we all experience the first time we are here. It continues every time the cycle begins anew, but only for those who win, as they retain the memories of the previous cycle. I should've been able to remember the previous cycle, since I was still on Chaos's side, but for some reason... my own memories have been locked too, and I can't remember..."

"Must be the work of that stupid idiot, then."

"Huh? Who?"

"Ah, sorry. I think I got that 'stupid idiot'-calling habit from someone, I just can't remember... oh right, I'm referring to Kefka. That stupid idiot..." He explained, while thinking, _'I have to be subtle about this. I don't know what happens if I reveal things too early.'_ She then finished healing him.

"I'm... I'm scared of him. Cloud's been the only other person who's helped with me. Other than that, I..." She trailed off, looking away. Levi placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him.

"Hey, I promise you, I won't leave you, okay? We'll try to find the source of all of this, but I will not leave you, okay?"

"You... you promise?"

He smiled. "You know what Kefka's going to get?"

"What?"

He was silent for a few moments. Finally, he then held her hand and smiled. "It." He finished. She found herself smiling, then chuckling, and then eventually laughing at the absurdity and humor of his statement. They both then stood up.

"Alright, I think I'm good. Let's go." He said, and they both walked out of the Edge of Madness.

But along the way, he called her, "Hey, Terra?"

"Yes, Levi?"

* * *

Everyone else then left, splitting up after meeting up with Cosmos. Jackie decided to join up with Lightning's group, which then further split up, with Jackie teaming up with Yuna.

Jackie remembered Cosmos's words to her.

" _Jackie, always remember that your friends will always be there by your side, even if they are your enemies. Your bonds will help determine your choices. Regardless of your decision, I will always understand your reasoning."_

"So, what did Cosmos say to you?" Yuna asked her as they traveled along.

"Oh, just some parting words and some advice."

"Ah, I see."

"Come on, you two, we're kinda lagging here." There called out Jecht, Tidus's father. He was also with them. In all honesty, he was unsure about Jackie being involved. After all, his own son was also involved, albeit on opposite sides, so there was worry about the new entrant in the war.

"Umm, Jackie, right?" He asked. The blonde nodded.

"Yeah, that's my name. What is it?"

"You kinda feel a bit too young to be in this war, kid. But if Lightning says you can fight, I can damn sure agree. Lightning's already a tough person to fight, but if what she said is true, that you can hold your own against her, even just a bit, then I guess you proved yourself just a bit."

"Thanks, Jecht. But here's one thing I'll say." She approached him, in which her bracelet changed into a single dagger, the sharp side of the blade resting on the Blitz King's neck. "Don't you dare underestimate me, whether it's because of my age or what you think of is my lack of fight. I've got a lot of issues as it is within me, and all of you guys underestimating me is not going to help."

His response was a smirk. "Duly noted, kid." He told her.

She smirked back. "Then I guess we'll work nicely together, then."

"Okay, okay, I think we all get the message now." Yuna said, managing to push the two away from each other. "Now, no more stuff like that for now, okay?" She admonished them.

Almost in perfect sync, they said, in slight dejection, "Yes Yuna."

"Well, I guess that's a start."

It would've been... had it not for the mental pains Jackie was experiencing.

"Oooohhhh, this is not going over so well... aaaaaaahhhhh... damn it... this... huuurts..." She fell down. Both saw this and helped her up. She held her head in pain, much in the same vein as Levi did.

"You alright Jackie?" Jecht asked.

"Yeah, just... these memories are hitting me again." The blonde explained. Within her mind, she saw, much like Levi, memories of their times together. Some platonic, others clearly borderline romantic, which of course, both denied. _'What are you trying to tell me? What does this have to do with me and Levi? And stop being a pain.'_

"Here, I'll help." Yuna said, using her own magic to help clear up the pain in Jackie's mind. Soon enough, the pain did clear up.

"Thanks, Yuna. I owe you one. I don't know how long I could've lasted more if the pain persisted. But... these memories are telling me something..." She trailed off, looking away, closing her eyes, before finishing. "...I understand."

"Huh? What is it Jackie?" Yuna asked.

"Jecht, Yuna... I have something to tell you two."

* * *

Simultaneously, both prince and blonde skateboarder turned to their companions.

"I... have no intentions to be a part of this war." They said, surprising them.

"What are you talking about?" Both Yuna and Terra asked.

"These memories... they're telling me... to find her/him. There's no way I can be a part of the war if I don't do this first. It's like... they're drawing me to these things... I'm feeling... something..." Both explained.

"I just feel that... this has to be done. I need to be with Jackie/Levi. I don't know what will bring about if we reunite, but I just know whatever the next decision will be, it'll be by both of us. Together"

The companions stood silent for quite some time, taking in the answer spoken to them.

* * *

' _I hope she won't turn her back on me for this...'_ Levi hopelessly thought, knowing that as a Warrior of Chaos, there might be differences in how discipline is taught. To his slight surprise, Terra offered a warm smile.

"Okay, I understand. I'll be with you every step. You're one of the only ones who has ever been so kind and friendly to me. I want to repay that." She said.

"You... you will?" He asked. She nodded. He quickly went over and embraced her. "Thank you."

"You're my friend, even though we fought and just knew each other so quickly."

"Not so fast, pretty boy!" Lightning burst, separating the two just as they pulled away. They both turned to see the insane clown.

"Kefka." He bitterly spat.

"That's right. Now I'm gonna make you pay, now that I've heard much of what you said. First you somehow took away my control over the girl, and now you're planning to distance yourself from the war?! That's similar to treason, dear pretty boy! And I'm gonna make you dance and WRITHE IN PAIN!" He shot more lightning towards him.

Levi avoided them. He growled. "Looks like I'll have to fight him." He looked behind his shoulder. "Terra, back me up!"

"Y-Yes!" She gained a steely gaze and nodded. Kefka narrowed his eyes.

"My poor puppet. I'll make sure you'll see the error of your ways. You'll see. " He then grinned and charged at him.

"First mistake, jester." He told him, ducking, and Terra used her ice magic to send Kefka careening.

"Grrrr... how dare you, Terra!" He cried out.

"I'm no longer in your control, Kefka!" She defiantly told him, continuing to bombard him with her own attacks.

"You won't control anyone anymore!" Levi stated, his hands forming two dark energy extensions, steadily clawing towards Kefka. Much like as he told the two, Kefka himself avoided the attacks sent at him, as if he danced to the tunes of the strikes.

"Now it seems you two made _me_ dance. Oh I love this! It makes me feel all tingly inside! Now let me DESTROY YOU!" He levitated, laughing and moving about, sending out his own crazy magic abilities towards them.

From far away one can see three distinct energies glowing. Levi's energy is shown with the color black, indicating his darkness affinity. Pure white is for Terra, signifying her natural esper abilities. For Kekfa, it's randomized, his own magic mixing together to create crazy, yet fascinating designs of magic attacks.

After minutes of fighting, the duo and the clown were still at a stalemate.

"Inconceivable... to think someone could actually push me this far..." Kefka noted, his features slowly morphing, ending with a sadistic grin. "...well now, it's time to turn it up a notch..." He looked at the two, his body glowing. "...wouldn't you agree?" With that, he transforms into his God of Magic form. He flew up to the skies, watching them as if they were mere insects in his view.

"Watch this." He now sent multiple magic attacks towards them, while discreetly creating a tracking attack in case they avoided all his initial attacks.

Levi and Terra widened their eyes at the sheer amount of power being radiated and sent. "Oh shit!" He said, as the duo were now on the evasive and defensive. As Kefka previously predicted, they successfully avoided and defended themselves from the initial attacks.

"This will hurt." Kefka only stated, as three magic triangles formed around them, closing in on the two.

"Hey Terra, no need to hold back, right?" He asked her. She nodded and proceeded to transform into her Esper form. She easily freed themselves from the triangles, now quickly flying at full speed towards the insane jester.

"Let's see if I have my own EX mode here." He stated to himself. He began to focus his magical energy on himself.

* * *

' _What are they going to say?'_ Jackie thought to herself.

"If that's your decision, kid, then I'll respect you for that. Obviously I can't change your mind about it, but if you don't mind, I still intend to do something here. You got my support, Jackie, but I won't come with you if you divert. Yuna?" Jecht said, nodding. Yuna still stood in silence, eyes closed, thinking.

Finally she came up with her response.

"I'm alright with that, but in return, you have to let me join you in finding him." She offered.

Hearing this made Jackie feel overjoyed. "Are you kidding me?! Of course I would let you!"

Jecht smiled. "Then I guess the decision's final. I'll be moving on now. I better find my son before anything else happens to him." He then walked ahead of the two. "I guess I'll see you guys soon."

"Thanks Jecht!" Jackie waved a goodbye.

"Hey kid." He called out.

"Yeah?"

"Let's fight sometime, yeah?"

"I'm gonna beat you if you're challenging me."

All Jecht could offer was a few chuckles. "Let's see, kiddo." With that he fully left the two behind. Jackie turned to Yuna.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Yuna told her.

"I'm sorry, but you need to do one last thing, Jackie." A new voice spoke from behind them. They turned.

"The Warrior of Light?" They both said in surprise.

"I heard your words, Jackie."

Jackie exasperatedly threw up her hands. "Great, now everyone's probably spying on me."

He paid that statement no mind as he looked at the two. He readied his sword and shield. "Prove to me, Jackie. As a fellow individual who uses light, and as a fellow Warrior of Cosmos, I want to see your commitment. Your resolve. If you want to find your friend, then prove to me your will and resolve to do all in your power to find him, in spite of the obvious facts."

Jackie closed her eyes, as she saw images of her and Levi. If this was needed to prove that she has the strength and will to make sure her objective is realized, then she shall do it.

"Yuna, back me up." Jackie instructed her, her bracelet transforming into her daggers.

"Right!"

"Light, guide me." The Warrior of Light said before striking through. Jackie blocked it with both her daggers, along with a kick to his side. He staggered before he threw his shield towards her. Surprisingly, she grabbed it. He looked at her in shock. The deadpan look on her face told him as if she said, 'Really?'

"How...?"

"Don't do that again when you're in front of me." She gently threw it back to him.

"Right, sorry. Can I, uh, try again?" He asked her. _'This is rather embarrassing for me...'_ He thought, drooping down for a few seconds.

She smiled. "Heh, sure." She threw the dagger towards him, which he blocked. The few seconds gave her time to rush him and strike. Her daggers transformed into her staff, which she spun and attacked him with. She planted the staff on the ground and rose up and outright kicked him right on his head. She then took the staff and slammed it onto the shield as he continued blocking, despite the rather painful kick he received earlier. He staggered, but his shield charged up with light magic.

"What the... why is his shield..." Jackie wondered as she used her own magic to augment her weapons.

"SHINE!" The shield glowed its brightest, as the Warrior of Light stabbed his sword through the shield, creating a devastating beam of light that blasted her out of his path.

"Jackie!" Yuna cried out, now turning to their comrade-turned-opponent. "Ifrit! Visions of hellfire!" She chanted, summoning the beast and sending out a wave of fire towards him. His response was sending orange-colored swords of light.

"Bahamut! Cascading strength!" Ifrit disappeared, this time the summoned creature taking its place. Quickly he went forth and struck with sword slashes. Yuna responded in kind as Jackie was recovering from the attack. Spheres of dark magic struck from the winged summon, homing on WoL. He blocked and deflected each, only for them to return, and he was forced onto the defensive, but not for long. He found a way to weave around the homing spheres and resumed his assault on the summons.

That was until Yuna told Bahamut, "Burn everything in sight!" A mega flare breathed out of its mouth, causing WoL to defend, yelling out, "Bathe in the light!" Pillars of light rose from the warrior's sword, headed towards the flare. Both attacks clashed.

"Shiva, freeze!" Bahamut disappeared, with Shiva doing as commanded.

At that point Jackie returned and struck him right on his stomach with a brutal right punch, and then he got frozen.

"Thanks, Yuna."

"No problem, Jackie. Ixion!" Ixion then appears in place of the blue summon. WoL was able to free himself off of the ice and attack once more. Jackie used her light energy to blast him, which he shielded himself with.

"SHINE!" He reflected that same attack into his own, though Jackie avoided it this time.

"It seems it isn't enough... then I have no choice but to shine brighter!" With that, his whole armor changed, highlighted more in light, and his sword changed. He had entered his EX Mode.

' _EX Mode, eh? Let's see what mine is... this is for you, Levi!'_ Jackie thought as she focused on herself. Her body glowed, and so did her clothes. She levitated in the air, and a white aura cloaked her. Her bracelet was then locked onto her wrist, with her daggers on her legs (holstered) and the longsword and staff on her back. All of them also glowed. Once she was finished, she took a good look around her.

"Wow..." Yuna was amazed. So was WoL.

"Amazing..." He noted.

Upon seeing the looks of the two, she happily smiled. "I did it! Yes! Now what should I call this? Ooooh, I know! Pure Plurixian Light!"

At that moment, WoL knew. She had now proven her resolve in finding her best friend. Though that doesn't mean he won't try to finish this fight. They both were in their awakened forms.

He took a chance, and swung his shield towards her, successfully striking her, and now performing a series of sword strikes and shield bashes. "Blade of light!" The light accumulated literally turned into one and struck her down. Jackie retaliated in kind with throwing her daggers towards him and unsheathing her longsword. The dagger throws knocked off the shield from him.

"I have to say, I didn't expect that. Nicely done. But now it's my turn." Try as she might though, even without the shield, he matched her attacks slash by slash, strike by strike. _'Wow... he's that good at swordfighting, even without his shield...'_ She thought. They clashed, and were evenly matched, still. All the while Yuna watched on.

However, WoL caught her at a moment she was off-guard, and effectively disarmed her of her longsword. It quickly came back, though. However, it was now returned to her back, rendering her defenseless. She then just blocked the relentless attacks with her arms, augmented by defensive light magic.

"Yuna!" Jackie yelled out.

"Way ahead of you. Bahamut! Burn everything in sight!" A mega flare blew out of the summon's mouth, and both combatants avoided it, but Jackie was quick to immediately get to WoL.

"Thanks, Yuna!" She said to her before blasting him with a beam of light.

"Alright, now things are serious." Her weapons were now floating beside her, and WoL was dazed. She directed her weapons to attack. As each attack struck, energy was being stored within her. She was charging up. Once sufficient energy was made, her weapons dissipated.

"This is the end!" Her arms outstretched, a huge beam of light shot towards WoL, and he was consumed by the blast. Jackie widened her eyes at that. "Was that too much?"

He gave out a pained scream. It was over. Both their EX modes faded, and both females quickly rushed over to the fallen warrior.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean for that! I didn't think it'd be that strong!" Jackie repeatedly apologized.

The warrior laughed. "It's nothing. I didn't think I had this much fun. But regardless, you've proven your worth. Now go. I'll be okay."

Jackie's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" His response was a nod. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I won't let this be in vain. Yuna, let's go!"

"Right!" The two ran off.

He was still lying on the ground. "Cosmos, can you help me here?" He heard a chuckle from inside his mind.

" _Of course."_ The warrior smiled.

* * *

"Phew... I didn't think I'd be in control after that." Levi said as he looked at himself, now awakened in his EX Mode. His appearance was more of his initial Maturation stage form, except that the only thing that appeared from it were the white markings on his skin. Other than that, he gained a black aura enveloping his body.

Kefka saw this, and knew it was time to retreat. "Sorry, pretty boy, but I'll be taking my leave now! But don't forget, I'll be back to take back what you stole!" He turned back into his normal form and disappeared. Terra reverted her esper form back to her normal form.

"That coward." He noted. Both he and Terra went to each other.

"Levi... you're... different." She noted.

"Yeah. I guess this is my awakened form." He said, before turning back to his normal self. "Anyways, you did so good out there."

"I just wanted to make sure. He isn't in control of me. Not anymore."

"And I'm glad to hear that." He then hugged her. She blushed before returning the hug as well.

"Let's get going." With that, the two then left to look for Jackie.

* * *

 **AN: Alright, Part 2 is now done! With the fact that Terra and Yuna have decided to join our duo, there may be some things that may change in their story arcs for cycle 12. Also, they got themselves their own EX Modes now! Awesome, ain't it? I figured, hey since they're in this specific story, I may as well give them some game elements too. The story of Dissidia, however, especially the ending, will be _very_ different from the original. That's all I can give. I don't know if I can be able to put this initial storyline in just five chapters, but we'll just see. Is Levi gonna be paired with another character from this crossover? I dunno. I just let things flow as I write, so it may or may not happen.**

 **Keep in mind, however, that this specific crossover arc will not include Scenario 000: Confessions of the Creator. However, I'll be putting up a poll to see what you guys think. It may be just a chapter or two, though, but that's gonna be in the future, guaranteed not to happen before 'Storm the Castle.' In any case, I'll put up the poll after I post this chapter.**

 **I'm really excited for the Dissidia reboot. So many awesome things from what I've heard.**

 **I think I'll have to re-edit Chapter 1, seeing as how pointless it is now for my AN there.**

 **Anyways, as always, review! I love getting them.**

 **Review responses: I only got two, and they're from my two main followers. I'm hoping just for a bit more, so please.**

 **Momijifan Low-Ki: That's gonna be harder for me, because I can't focus on both now. Better I stick it here. But thanks for the words, man. I appreciate it. Though a separate side-story featuring their encounters with the various Dissidia characters would be interesting...**

 **Chance G: Unfortunately, I have never heard of that game. Appreciate the kind words, man.**

 **Until then, everyone. And remember to review!**

* * *

Extra: Dissidia 012 Encounter Quotes - vs. Levi

Hey, since Levi and Jackie are in this story, might as well give them a bit of integration for fun. This is what I think would Levi do facing each character. He's a fan, so there's some quotes that come from being so excited meeting these characters. I might do Jackie in the next chapter. And probably the chapter after that are story encounter quotes from both.

Battle Intro: From a portal out came Levi. After the intro quote, a black aura surrounds him, and just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

Warriors of Chaos

Garland: Everything comes to an end, including the cycle you've created.  
Alternate: Just how do you carry that big lug you call a sword?

The Emperor: Pride comes before the fall, Emperor.  
Alternate 1: Have you ever been controlled?  
Alternate 2: For an emperor... have you ever taken fashion lessons?  
Alternate 3: Hmm... are you master manipulator or just a wannabe mastermind?

Cloud of Darkness: You dare tell me I don't know true darkness?  
Alternate 1: I don't know who's more obsessed with the Void: You or Exdeath?  
Alternate 2: You want me to fall? Fine. But you won't like it.  
Alternate 3: Let's dance in darkness together!

Golbez: Let's see who's better at wielding darkness.  
Alternate: Fix your relationship with your brother, will you?

Exdeath: Your obsession with the Void is going to render your existence null and void.  
Alternate: You're slow. Slooooooowwwww!

Gilgamesh: This'll be awesome!  
Alternate: All I need is that chicken sword to beat you.

Kefka: This is for Terra.  
Alternate 1: You stupid clown.  
Alternate 2: Let's see if you'll still laugh after this.

Sephiroth: It's an honor to battle you.  
Alternate: After this battle can I please wield Masamune?

Ultimecia: You think you can control my time?  
Alternate 1: So much time, so little things to do.  
Alternate 2: What is it with villains wearing less clothing?

Kuja: I understand your fears. Maybe a battle can help ease you.  
Alternate: I don't think I've ever seen anyone with that getup up close until you...

Jecht: It seems there's more than one family issue in this war...  
Alternate: Show me how to play Blitzball, please?

Gabranth: I'm pretty sure you don't have a verdict on me.  
Alternate 1: Who died and made you judge?  
Alternate 2: I like you, but you're a pain without your helmet.

Chaos: Consider yourself destroyed once I'm done with you.

Feral Chaos: I won't let you destroy my bonds with my friends here!  
Alternate: And I thought I had issues...

Levi: Ahhhh crap.  
Alternate 1: Fighting myself? Cool!  
Alternate 2: I gotta admit, I look nice.

Warriors of Cosmos

Warrior of Light: Wielding the element of Light, just like her...  
Alternate 1: A mere nameless shell, with only a title as an identity.  
Alternate 2: No choice, eh?

Firion: Your hopes and dreams are admirable, but are nothing against me.  
Alternate 1: Strange that your motif is a rose.  
Alternate 2: Just how do you carry so many weapons?

Onion Knight: Ninja, Mage, or just your normal self, I will beat you.  
Alternate: *laughs* How cute.

Cecil: I keep telling people dark is not evil, and I'm proven right! YES!  
Alternate 1: You have balance on your side. That's nice.  
Alternate 2: What is this, the Karma System?

Kain: What's the point of discarding your friends?  
Alternate 1: I cannot forgive you for what you did to your comrades.  
Alternate 2: How do you see things with that helmet?

Bartz: You... are so naive.  
Alternate : Luckily there's nothing from me you can copy from.

Terra: Don't hold back.  
Alternate 1: It's okay. Go all-out on me.  
Alternate 2: Somehow, I feel my heart lingering onto you...

Cloud: Let's see if your hope can... help you win.  
Alternate 1: What is it with you and... doubts?  
Alternate 2: Oh god I am so excited!

Tifa: Few flips, mostly just fists. I like that.  
Alternate: You pack a mean punch just like her.

Squall: You're even more worse than my brother, and that's saying something.  
Alternate: I gotta admit, that sword is cool.

Laguna: You're well-meaning, but that won't help you.  
Alternate 1: It's a wonder Squall is always able to put up with you.  
Alternate 2: I know the term is never bring a sword to a gunfight, but I can defy that any day.

Zidane: Can you keep up with me?  
Alternate 1: Can you steal some stuff for me? I'll pay you.  
Alternate 2: You're not stealing anything from me.

Tidus: Any issues with your dad I can help with?  
Alternate: Three-way Blitzball battle with your father, after I learn how to play!

Yuna: I admire your will and resolve, along with your summoning abilities, but can you win?  
Alternate: Can you summon a moogle, please?

Shantotto: Master of magic, yet your end will be tragic.  
Alternate 1: You, a master of destruction? Ha! You're nothing but an obstruction.  
Alternate 2: Mock me all you want, it'll all just be for naught.

Prishe: You sure are a spunky one.  
Alternate: You know any places to eat?

Vaan: You're optimistic... too optimistic.  
Alternate 1: Keep your feet on the ground, not your head in the skies!  
Alternate 2: Let's do some exploring together some time, eh?

Lightning: I'm sure someone's gonna be there for you.  
Alternate 1: What do I need to do for you to finally be happy?  
Alternate 2: Smile. You deserve the happiness after everything you've been through.

Jackie: Do we... really have to fight?  
Alternate 1: There's no other choice, is it?  
Alternate 2: Why do we have to fight?  
Alternate 3: I can't bring myself to fight you because I... love you.  
Alternate 4: Our final chapters.


	20. Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013, Part 3

**Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013**

 **Part 3: Reunion  
The two continue their search with their respective companions, culminating in a reunion that may or may not end so well...**

* * *

Levi and Terra ran and ran, exploring the world as they tried to find Jackie (and unknowingly for them, Yuna as well). A few days passed as the war continued without their involvement as they searched and avoided their allies, enemies, and manikins. Eventually they stopped again.

"Admittedly, I think I've been leading us on a wild goose chase. I have no idea how to find her. I've been getting us lost for so long." Levi said, a bit dejected that he was wasting not only his time, but hers too.

"That's alright." Terra said, not at all annoyed at his actions. "Maybe we should set up camp again. It's getting a bit late for us." She said.

"I guess you're right." The prince said, unconsciously reaching inside his pocket. He felt something in there, making him look at the pocket in confusion. _'Strange... I don't remember anything in there...'_ He decided to look at what it was inside, and took it out.

It was his dimensional scissors. He looked surprised. _'My dimensional scissors? Now that's strange.'_ He thought. Deciding to use it later, he puts it back into his pocket. He channeled his energies and then slammed his hands onto the ground. A simple log pile rose from the ground.

"Terra, can you light it up?" He asked. She nodded and her hand glowed with fire, setting the pile in embers. They both smiled. He sat on the ground. She followed suit. The esperkin decided to lean a bit closer to him. He allowed her to, albeit a bit reluctantly before he did himself.

"Do you miss anything from your home, Terra? The cycles of war take a toll, I know, and this ain't the first one for you, isn't it?" He asked her.

"I... honestly... I don't know what I miss from home. I've been controlled as a puppet by Kefka for so long, and along with my memories being locked away from me unless I can win... I couldn't remember much from home, so I don't know what I miss. How about you?"

"Well... I'm not sure either. I guess my friends, but I can't remember that much. I guess we're all experiencing the same thing."

"Well... looks like you two will do." The two quickly turned towards the sound of the voice. Terra widened her eyes, while Levi narrowed his.

"Ultimecia." They both said. The time witch stared at them, bemused.

"I didn't think I'd find the two traitors so easily." She said. Levi just groaned, lying down on the ground.

"Look, girl, we have had a long few days. Could you at the very least give us some time to rest?" Both women were surprised at his statement.

"Do you really think I'd let-" She was immediately blasted down by Levi before she could finish, his hand glowing with darkness power.

"Like I said, just give us time to rest. But if you try to fight us now, you are not gonna win." By now, one can tell that Levi's bothered and just wanted to end the night not fighting and just sleeping.

Not one second later she disregarded his warning and grabbed Terra with a confinement spell.

"Levi! Help!" Terra yelled out. He groaned again before using his hands. Suddenly, large dark energy hands surrounded the witch.

"Choose." He only said. She looked around. She grinned.

"Time." Everything around her, except for Terra, froze in place. With that, she calmly got herself and the captured girl out of the confinement.

"Your companion is rather foolish. Does he not know of what I can do?"

" **I SAID...** " Ultimecia gasped. She looked behind her and saw Levi. Only, it wasn't.

" **...** **CHOOSE."** It was the same darkness that Levi had briefly and unknowingly shown towards Miss Heinous.

"H-how? How are you able to escape the confines of time?" The time witch questioned, slightly afraid, while the esperkin looked on in both awe and fear.

' _What... what happened to you, Levi?'_ Terra thought. He inched closer and closer to the two, causing Ultimecia to back away slowly, fighting back with her other arm casting arrows, which he effortlessly flings away.

" **Oh that. Simple. When I'm in control, and that doesn't happen a lot, I can transcend the boundaries of time and darkness. Trust me when I say I can suck the light out of everything, and the world would be pitch black. Your powers are meaningless against me. Also, I want the girl, so I'll have to force you to release her, whether you want to or not."** Clearly not the Levi both have learned, he then summoned back the dark hands and enclosed on Ultimecia, slowly crushing the time witch's grasp on Terra. And as he did, he proved his statement, as the light from the fire vanished, leaving the three in pitch darkness... and the dark individual in control. However, he did leave a dim light, so that he could see her struggle and writhe in pain, and eventually hear her scream.

"No... stop... I was... supposed to be... the one... in control... please... stop..." She pleaded, as she felt herself experiencing one of the worst experiences of pain in her life. Everything was still frozen, so the only ones who could hear her plea and see her are the two. Terra was released, and she was gasping, looking on at the helpless situation.

And then he sadistically grinned. " **Hm... how about... no. I want to hear your screams, see, and I want you to know just how powerless you are."** He then tightened the hands' grip on her, also deciding to bring her descent by sending some of his energies inside her, and then she did scream in terror.

" **YES! YES! HAHAHAHAHAHA! WONDERFUL! NOW YOU SEE HOW PATHETIC AND POWERLESS YOU ARE!"** He said in horrific glee and sadism.

"Levi stop it! I'm free! You don't have to do this anymore!" Terra pleaded. He then turned to her.

" **I do apologize... but he isn't awake. I'm free at the moment, so I'm in control now. And I won't stop.** " He said, grinning madly. He resumed his torture on the hapless time witch, as the darkness still controls the environment.

However, he then felt a pain in his head. He gasped, clutching his head. " **NO! NO NO NO NO! YOU?! YOU?! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU WAKE HIM UP! STOP! STOP THIS! STOP! I WILL ESCAPE SOON ENOUGH, AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE THEM THIS TIME! YOU WILL PAY! YOU WILL ALL PAY!** " The last remnants of him disappeared, and Levi's eyes turned back to hazel, and his aura disappeared, the light of the fire back, and the hands and darkness around Ultimecia gone. He collapsed to the ground, and Terra quickly cradled him.

"Are you okay now?" She asked, concerned, and at the same time, afraid.

"I... oh my gods... what happened? The last I remembered was me giving Ultimecia a chance to stop whatever it was she's planning and- oh gods where is she?!" He stood up, and so did she, and both saw her laid down on the ground.

"Ultimecia!" He said, both quickly rushing over to her. Her eyes were closed and there were numerous bruises on her body, evident of the crushing grip she was placed under.

"No... please... there's so much... pain... stop... please..." She mumbled. His eyes widened in shock, turning to Terra.

"What happened to me? What happened to her?" He asked.

"Levi... are you sure... you want to know?"

"Tell me, please! I want to know what happened, why she became like this, what might have happened to me."

"A-alright." She then proceeded to do so, walking back to the campfire along with him, who was now carrying her bridal style. And each significant information shocked him more and more. He laid her down.

* * *

"I... I did that much? I hurt her... so much... too much..."

"So you didn't know what you were doing?" She asked.

"No, I... I don't even remember. I had fallen asleep, and then I didn't even know he clawed his way out. After that I don't know what had happened now, until this... this is my fault... I couldn't control it... I..." He felt a hand on his cheek, turning to see Terra.

"It's not your fault. You weren't in control of your actions. It wasn't even you. It's like how Kefka controls me by forcefully awakening my esper form. I wasn't in control in those times. So it's the same for you as well. This isn't your fault, okay?"

"But... still..."

"Listen, it's okay. You're just as strong as the others, so I know you won't let this happen again. Promise me, you won't blame yourself for this, okay?" She had him face her, her hands intertwined with his.

"I don't know... but I guess I'll do my best." He said.

"That's good enough for me. But what do we do about her?" She asked, looking back at the unconscious form of the time witch.

"Let her stay and rest. That's the least I could do for what he did to her."

"Do you want me to heal her?"

"Only when she wakes up next morning."

Meanwhile, still at night, Jackie and Yuna had a slower pace, walking around while also avoiding their enemies and the manikins.

"Hey Yuna." Jackie said.

"What is it, Jackie?" Yuna asked.

"You ever wondered where the manikins are coming from?" She asked back.

"Actually, the others, specifically Lightning, Tifa, Laguna, Vaan, and Kain, were actively looking for it. I was supposed to be a part of them too."

"What made you change your mind?"

She giggled, smiling. "You, of course. You asked if I could join you in your search, and I readily agreed to that. Besides, I know Jecht might tell them anyway, and they'll understand."

"How do you know that?"

"I trust them. They trust me."

"Wow. You have that much faith in your friends?"

"Don't you in yours?" That caused her to smile a little.

"You got a point there-" She then suddenly stopped talking and moving. She then gripped at her chest, where her heart was.

"Jackie? Is something wrong?" Yuna then stopped as well, quickly turning towards her

"I feel something. It's like... it's like something's holding my heart. But it hurts a bit. And... oh god, I feel it hurting more..." She then gasped, collapsing on the ground, unconscious.

"JACKIE!" Yuna shrieked. For some reason, Jackie's heart glowed white. Then darkness appeared as an aura around it.

' _W-w-what is this? Why is her heart...'_ Yuna thought in concern, as she tried her best to help Jackie.

"I guess this is where we'll set up for now." She said to herself.

"Want some help with that?"

"Huh?" She turned around and saw...

"Lightning!" The former pinkette commander looked over at their blonde comrade in concern.

"What happened with Jackie?" She asked as she went over to the two, using her magic to try and heal Jackie as Yuna used her magic to set up camp.

"I don't know, she just stopped and held onto her chest, then fell. And then you saw this... the glow and the darkness. That's all I know, and I'm a bit afraid for her. I think it has something to do with who she's looking for. And... she doesn't want to be involved in the war until she does find him."

"What?" was Lightning's only response.

"You heard me, Light. Until she finds her best friend, she has no intentions of being involved in the war."

"Then I guess he means to her a lot than the war."

"Yeah."

Yuna finished up setting the small camp for them.

"There, all finished! How is she so far?" Yuna asked.

"That glow is still there. I don't know if what I've done is even good enough."

Just as she said that, the glow was gone, and Jackie opened her eyes. She sat up, shaking her head.

"Are you alright?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah, I guess." She answered. "Wait... why are you here in the first place?"

"I just happened to find you guys. That's all. I guess he means a lot to you, huh? Even more than the conflict we're in."

Jackie nodded. "Yeah. He's my best friend, you know? We've been there for each other ever since the day we met. We're practically inseparable."

"I understand."

Yuna then decided to talk to Lightning about an important topic. "Light, where are the others? Did you guys split up again?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. We ran onto Kuja and Kefka, and I told them to get going without me. I took care of Kuja, but Kefka retreated. Though not long after, Kuja also retreated somewhere else, though not where Kefka's going. We're still looking for the manikin's source."

"Then shouldn't you be going back to looking for information, then?"

"I know that. But then I saw you guys and saw Jackie's hurt. I had to do something."

"Well, I guess it's nice having another person here, you especially. You wanna stay the night?"

"I'd love to, but I have to go. I can't stay in one place for long."

"Come on Light, it's just for a night. The conflict may be going on, but that doesn't mean everyone can't rest for at least a night. Even you. I promise, next morning, we leave together, alright?"

Lightning thought over this for a few seconds. Then she made up her mind.

"Alright. I guess it won't hurt."

All three girls were then lying down near the fire.

"The sky's so beautiful." Jackie noted.

"Indeed it is." Yuna said, smiling.

The next morning...

"There's no way I can convince either of you to stray from your path, huh." Lightning noted. All three girls were finishing up and were preparing to leave.

"As I've said last night, Levi means a lot to me. He's also probably the only way for me to see if anything regarding our memories can be found. If I have to fight to get to him, then I'll do it."

"Then you're in good shape." She then turned to the summoner. "You still going with her, Yuna?"

"Yes."

"Then this is where we part ways, then, once again." Lightning said, walking away.

"Hey, Light!" Jackie called out. She turned to face her.

"Let's meet again sometime, yeah?" She said. All she could saw from her from the distance in her smirk, turning around then continuing to walk away.

"Well, shall we keep going, Yuna?"

"Alright, let's get to it, Jackie." With that, the two resumed their journey once more.

* * *

Among the three asleep, Ultimecia was the first to wake. She immediately felt a painful headache.

"Ugh... it feels like someone put me through a lot of pain..." She said, one hand at her head.

"That's because you were put through a lot of pain." She turned to the speaker, Levi, who just woke up.

"You..." She could only say, as the memories returned from the previous night.

"I told you, you had the option to choose. I wasn't gonna let up on you, even if you could stop time whenever you wanted. But that... what happened last night... that wasn't me."

The time witch was a bit confused, but continued to listen in silence.

"That was... a darker, alternate manifestation of me. From where I'm from, there are stages in our lives where we further develop our powers. The Maturation Stage." He shuddered from that. He could still feel the fact that he almost killed both Jackie and Star in his mindless state. "I've gotten past it, but it's not over for me yet. The torment I get from that is gonna come. It has taken over me a few times, only twice really. But regardless, I would've gladly fought you, but not like what happened last night. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you. No one deserves what happened to you. Well, except maybe Kefka."

"Why do you think I don't deserve it? Surely you've known what I've done, if you've talked to the rest of us." She finally asked.

"I'm not the type of person to pay evil, or may that much evil, unto evil. Besides, I prefer to talk things out first before I fight. Well, except for this one person- wait, I'm getting off-topic here. You didn't deserve it because what he had done was unforgivable. He almost killed you. And he _enjoyed_ it. And I'm afraid of that. He might come out again, and he'll surely destroy you and the others. So I have to make sure he's in check. Not only for her sake, but for everyone else's sake too."

She had a little sense about who he is now. She was surprised he didn't want to inflict that much pain, knowing her reputation.

"Just... who are you? You're a Chaos warrior, and yet you don't act like one as such. You'd be mistaken for a Cosmos warrior if one sees you."

Levi chuckled. "Well, for starters, I'm Levi Yoren. I'm just someone who has the powers of darkness at his disposal. Someone who prefers to be kind. Someone who's haunted by the past. Someone who just wants to be with his best friend again, and will do anything to get to her, even if it means I have to fight everyone. And remember... that dark manifestation probably is the reason I'm with Chaos."

"Is she... a Cosmos warrior?" She warily asked.

"Most likely." He only said.

"And what will you do when you find that person again?"

He smiled and looked up. "Me and Jackie... we're going to end the war ourselves and change everything. And don't even try to stop us."

Now she was outright confused. "What... what are you talking about?"

"It's as straightforward as it gets, Ul."

She shook her head in disbelief. No one, absolutely no one could be able to end the war on their own! "That's... that's impossible. You're not going to succeed."

"Well then, I guess it's my job to make that impossibility a possibility, eh?" They both then heard a mild moan. They both turned to Terra. She was just waking up.

"You're up, finally." He said, smiling. He turned to the time witch.

"Absolutely no one else is to know this conversation, alright?"

"If that is what you wish."

Eventually Ultimecia then left the two to themselves, having understood who he was, even if it's just a bit. She was intrigued, but chose not to interfere with them for now.

"Let's go." Levi said. Terra nodded, and they left once more.

* * *

The Lunar Subterrane. Always at night, always rocky. And it was the place where the two would find each other. Jackie and Yuna were walking around, and Levi and Terra just arrived.

"There you are." He said. He was looking right at his best friend. She turned around and saw him. She gasped and widened her eyes. The two rushed to each other and locked in a tight embrace. From behind the two, Yuna and Terra were looking on.

"Gods, I missed you." He said, taking in her scent. Mint. He missed it. He missed her. He missed all of her. Yes it was for a few days in the realm, but he could not take the fact that she's not with him. Now, they're together again.

"You have no idea." She said. Much like him, she missed him a lot as well. She cherished and treasured their time together. Times like this made her heart yearn for him more. And now that she realized it...

"Is that Jackie?" Terra asked. The two pulled away as Terra and Yuna approached the duo.

"And that's probably Levi." Yuna noted.

"Yuna/Terra?" Both said in surprise. Both girls looked at them surprised. All four then shrugged.

"I do apologize for the intrusion, but you know what happens, right?" Someone then appeared. All four turned to see...

"Sephiroth?" Levi asked.

"Good to see you again. Though unfortunately, this isn't good. As much as I hate to break up this reunion, you both probably know that you both must fight."

Both the prince and the blonde light user widened their eyes. Both looked down.

"Goddamn it." Levi said.

"Of course. We're opposites. We have no choice. If we want to get our memories, we'll have to fight each other." Jackie said. They then looked back up, only to see no sign of the swordsman. They looked around, only to find no sign of Terra nor Yuna either.

"Damn this. I don't want to fight you, you know? I know the mechanics of this. Whoever loses..." He trailed off.

"...has to disappear. I know. I know! But... I can't either. Why couldn't have we been both on Cosmos's side?" She finished for him.

"We can't dwell on that now. That means one thing." He turned to her and held her hands.

"Let's just make this like what we've done before, alright? Don't hold back. I won't either."

"But..."

"Jackie, look at me."

She looked at him straight in the eyes. Those eyes were drawing her in again. His hands were on her shoulders.

"It'll be alright. No matter what, we'll always be there for each other." He said.

"Now then-" He said, before he was cut off by her pushing him far away.

"I won't hold back, just as you said!" Jackie told him, wielding a longsword now.

He smiled. _'That's my girl.'_ He thought. He conjured two dark daggers. From their stances, they charged towards each other.

"YAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"HRRRRAAAAAAAGHHHHH!"

Unbeknownst to the two, Sephiroth, Yuna, and Terra are watching in secret.

* * *

Both clashed, light against dark, up in the skies. It had been sometime after they first clashed in the rocky field, and both were still going at it.

"Come on, Levi! Don't hold back!" Jackie said, slamming him down to the ground.

"I'm just getting started!" He sent a blast of dark energy towards the girl, which she avoided.

"Two can play it that way!" She sent a blast of her own. He did so again, and the two blasts violently collided. The collision was followed by an explosion that engulfed the area around them. Jackie fell, while Levi collapsed to the ground. Conveniently, Jackie landed right next to him as they both lay on the ground.

Suddenly, Levi laughed. "You've really improved."

"Thanks."

"You know what's the joke about this entire thing?"

"That I was right and you were wrong?"

"Heh. Yeah. I really have to learn to watch what I say."

"Aren't you... afraid of what'll happen to either of us?"

"I am. I just prefer to face it head-on than run away."

"Me too. Me too."

They turned their bodies towards one another. They smiled. And then their weapons clashed once more. Both looked at the other with wide eyes, surprised that they dared to use their weapon against the other. Both retreated.

"We still have a fight to finish!" They both said in sync. They both gasped. "Okay, stop. No, stop! Damn it stop talking! AAARRGH!" That only led to more surprises. Either way, both clashed again.

Punch for punch, strike for strike, it seemed that both were the other's absolute equal. Every time Jackie would try to get the upper hand, Levi knew exactly how to counter her move. The same goes for his attempts as well. His daggers changed to gauntlets, deciding to go for heavy blows. Jackie anticipated this and went to change her longsword into energy enhancing her arms' defense to block his attacks, as they glowed. He then once went for an attack that was too slow, allowing her to gain the upper hand with a spin kick to the side of his head, knocking him down, but only for mere moments. He gets back up and punches her right through her defenses and onto her stomach, causing her to recoil, clutching her abdomen.

' _Okay...'_ She wheezed, the breath sucked out of her. _'...I didn't think that would be tough.'_ She thought, having to kneel down on the ground.

Levi cringed. He approached her. "I am so sorry. Damn it I knew that was too hard." He said.

Secretly, the glow on her arms disappeared. "It's okay. These things have to be expected, and so should this!" She said, driving a staff strike straight at his chest. Unfortunately, the staff inexplicably transformed into a dagger. In a split-second, Jackie noticed this and gasped in shock. It stabbed through him deeply. He widened his eyes.

"Oh shit..." He said, pulling out the dagger as he profusely bled. Suddenly darkness energy covered his wound. He collapsed a bit.

"OH GOD LEVI!" She yelled out. Unknowing to the two, from where the other three were watching, Terra yelled the same thing. Sephiroth and Yuna widened their eyes in shock.

"What the fuck happened... what did I..." Jackie trailed off, staring at her arms which had his blood. She stayed there, frozen.

"Jackie..." Levi said. She did not respond.

"Jackie!" He said, raising his voice. This time she did. She lowered down towards him.

"I am so sorry, Levi... I didn't think-" She began to apologize, but Levi was having none of it.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, girl. It's okay." He said.

"NO IT'S NOT! YOU MIGHT BE DYING DAMN IT! AND THIS IS MY FAULT!" She cried. She covered her face with her palms as tears fell. He frowned in sorrow. He didn't want to see her like this. He knew though that this wasn't her fault at all. He realized how much it took to control the energies they had. Master Li'an always told him that control is necessary to fully use the elemental energies they possess. Jackie was no exception. He thought that maybe, he hadn't exactly trained her sufficiently enough in controlling it, or maybe both were just really exhausted, and Jackie's energy took a toll on her control, considering that she had already gotten her level past the post-Maturation stage, and as such, from the start, she had near-full control, with him perfecting that control. He decided to take the latter. Though really, he's still confused on the entire thing.

As she cried, he approached her, holding her hands, as both still sat down beside each other.

"Listen, Jackie. I'm alright. It's alright. Look, see?" He showed her the wound, which was still covered in darkness energy.

"But... I did this... this..."

"Jackie... I think... no. I'm sorry." He said, confusing her.

"What... what do you mean?" She asked.

"For what I'm about to do."

In one swift motion, he gently caressed her face and leaned in, taking her lips in a kiss. She widened her eyes in surprise. She recovered, however, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He did the same by wrapping his around her waist.

Whether to stop her from crying, whether to admit he was in love with her, whether it was a spur of the moment, Levi did not care. He had began to grow feelings for Jackie ever since the time they faced their nightmares. However, he was still confused as to whether or not those said feelings had been for real or just something to cling onto since without her, he was practically alone on Earth. He was thankful she had been his guide. Months passed, and it wasn't until the time he reunited her with her parents that he realized how much his feelings for her had grown. To be by her side, to make her happy in her lowest times, to care for her, to eventually love her, he realized then and there how much he felt for her. He didn't show those feelings before, as his first priority has always been to be her best friend, as of course, he doesn't know if she shares the same sentiment.

Jackie felt a wide array of feelings in her body. She first felt surprise that grew into shock, slight anger from the sudden action, then a realization, then happiness, and finally, love. Out of everyone, Levi was the very first true best friend Jackie had ever since she became close friends with Janna, and the friendship between the two girls still stuck to this day. It's just that she considered Levi her best friend too.

Not that Janna didn't mind. She's seen how unhappy Jackie has been, having to just hide her pain of loneliness stemming from her parents' separation (unknown at the time) and abandonment in favor of putting up a facade to make sure no one would be so worried of her. She opened up to her before, and understood that. This was why she was glad Levi became her best friend, as she had someone else to bond with, perhaps even closer. One could also say that if she could, she would gladly try to pair up the two together.

She realized her feelings for him, rather in a coincidence, when she briefly reunited with her parents. She considered that to be her absolute lowest moment in her life. And when she was in that dark place, Levi was there to bring her back up. She saw how much he had always been there for her. How much he cared for her. And in that span, she realized how much she was willing to do the same for him too.

And then of course, those same feelings were amplified in the Blood Moon Ball. The legend states that two lucky souls will be bonded for eternity. While that legend isn't exactly true, and it is just a legend after all, what the legend didn't clarify is that the moon could only choose two souls who share a very deep emotional bond towards each other, to a level almost like soulmates, without the romance part. The moon simply amplifies those same feelings the two share for one another to transcend into another level. They won't be bound forever. It's just to increase those feelings. So you can say the moon is quite the shipper on deck too.

Yes, one might say they're still too young to experience love. Yes, they're both 15. Who cares?

Levi pulled her closer to him to deepen the kiss, and Jackie leaned closer to him. They kissed until they parted for air.

Both panted. "Wow..." Levi could only say.

"I didn't think..." She said back.

"That was my first kiss too, you know." He said.

"That was also mine. So..."

"Jackie, I'll just say it in a straightforward manner."

"Alright then, tell me." She smirked at him.

He warmly smiled. "I love you, Kie."

She wrapped her arms around his neck again. "I love you too, Levi. Y'know, I guess I can finally say that you're _my_ prince." She laughed. He did so too.

What both didn't know was that the battle was over the moment Jackie had accidentally stabbed Levi. While that had made a clear winner, secretly, both regained their memories of their lives without needing for them to relive them. Levi did not fade as expected because for one thing, he wasn't really a warrior of Chaos. Neither was Jackie being a part of Cosmos's warriors. They were basically free of the restrictions set by Shinryu in the war. It was only that they entered this world that they had lost their memories, and the only way to regain them was to simply fight each other. Sure they could try to fight the others, but it wouldn't apply unless it was against each other. Not that they needed to know that.

They both stood up, and Levi looked back down on his wound. It was gone, and so was the darkness energy covering it.

"It's gone." He only said. Jackie took notice of it too.

"Yeah. I'm glad." He almost collapsed again, but Jackie quickly held him, slinging his arm on her shoulder to support him.

"Levi/Jackie!" They both turned to see the three heading over to them.

"Terra! Sephiroth! Yuna!" They called back and went as well.

"You're alright!" Terra said. Levi nodded.

"Yeah. I guess my energies healed it away." He said.

"Then I take it your conflict with each other is over, then?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yup."

"So... what will you do now, now that you two are together again? And what about us?" Yuna decided to ask the most important question.

"Um..." Levi trailed off. He turned to Jackie. "Should we tell them?"

Jackie gave a resolute nod. "We can trust them." He nodded back. Both turned to the trio.

"Terra, Yuna, Sephiroth." Levi called out.

"There's some things we have to tell you guys."

"A lot of things. But this one is the biggest of them all."

"You three, along with the others..."

"...we know how this will play out, and how it will end." They both said together.

"What exactly are you explaining?" Sephiroth asked. Clearly, the three were a bit confused at what they were saying.

"We know your stories. We know everything there is to know about everyone here." Jackie began.

"You, Cloud, Lightning, Jecht, and everyone else... we know." Levi continued.

"And we know how we can end all of this without anyone a victim... by the next cycle."

* * *

 **AN: Poor Ultimecia. No one deserves that kind of pain.**

 **Anyways, I'm back, and we're at the midpoint of this entire arc now. I do apologize for the delay. I had really been out of it lately. I wasn't too motivated to write, save for that High School DxD fanfic prologue I put up. I don't know, I just... man, I was just so unmotivated back then. Not too sure about right now, really.**

 **1 story, 20 chapters, 100k words. I've finally got to those two personal milestones at once.**

 **So... the two have admitted their feelings for each other. I did the best I could, really. Though I have a lot planned. I still do.**

 **I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of my writing. I've focused on this in return for stagnating my other fanfics that I'm still interested in doing. No doubt I love writing this fanfic, but I've been thinking about going on a hiatus on this to focus on the others. Not sure if I want to go through with that, but if I do, it's definitely gonna be after my ending of Season 1. No, it's not gonna be Storm the Castle where I end. My finale for the 'season' is gonna be different.**

 **I've put up the poll about whether or not I should make a future bonus chapter for this arc, following the game's alternate continuity of Scenario 000: Confessions of the Creator where our two heroes are dragged back into a world of Dissidia that's not like what it was before...**

 **That's it for me here. As always, leave a review below to let me know what you think. Leave a favorite or a follow if you want to see more of this story.**

 **Almost forgot to do the review responses.  
**

 **Momijifan (I'll just call you that from now on): Thanks. I do hope this one was worth the wait too.  
**

 **Guest Sorta: Thanks, and glad to see you back reading this story again.**

 **Until next time, everyone.**


	21. Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013, Part 4

**Dissidia Arc: Cycle 012 & 013**

 **Part 4: Conclusion  
With the twelfth cycle coming to a close, everything changes.**

* * *

"You're not making this up, aren't you?" Sephiroth asked. The two shook their heads.

"There wouldn't be any reason for us to lie about something big like this. We couldn't even make this up even if we tried." Levi reasoned.

"So, um... let me see if I got this right." Terra piped in, to which the two nodded.

"All of us are from different worlds, including Cosmos and Chaos. The two, along with someone named Cid, ventured into this world after crossing through a rift. This world is a fragile mirror version of a world in which the, um... the Warrior of Light was home to. It's also an amalgamation of parts from other worlds. Am I right so far?"

Again, the two nodded.

"Okay. Cid made a deal with Shinryu, who was crossing through, to gain immortality in exchange for his body, so that in the future, at a certain point in time, the three of them can return home. Cosmos and Chaos would then wage war with one another, using us as the pieces, and this world as the field. We knew that whichever side's warriors all died first would signify the end of the cycle and they'd be resurrected at the expense of their memories, as we had experienced it over and over. What we didn't know was that it would be because of Shinryu that we'd all still be fighting over and over, right? And that Chaos's strength would be stronger each time?"

Another nod.

"The manikins appear in this cycle, courtesy of Exdeath, who opened the portal leading to them in the Rift. In the end of this cycle, to close out the portal to the manikins, six of us, including you, Yuna, sacrifice your lives to seal it. By the next cycle, Chaos then kills Cosmos, but soon enough we'd then be able to defeat him and go back to our own worlds, but only because we were saved by Cid. Is... is that all correct?"

"Spot on, Terra." Levi said, to which the esperkin gave a small smile.

"And... you knew all of this? Because we are actually characters in a game?" She asked.

"Yeah. All of you guys are actually main characters in your worlds in which your respective game took place in. There's even more to this, actually. When Cid saved you guys after destroying Chaos and ending the war, Shinryu was, in a lack of better speaking, pissed off with his betrayal. He convinced Chaos, as he died, that Cid wished that he died to end the cycle, thus having him imbue all his remaining power to him. And then the nightmares begun for Cid... and I'll leave it at that." Levi said.

"I must admit. I feel pity for Cid, having such misguided intentions because they were, for a lack of better speaking, imprisoned in this world." Sephiroth noted. "That only leaves me one question. How did you two arrive here?"

"We don't know that ourselves. We couldn't remember what happened before the moment we arrived. But that doesn't matter now. You three now know what happens after this moment.

"What will you two do?" Yuna asked.

"Simple. We want to change everything. And that includes your fates." Jackie said.

"With all that being said, let's get going." Levi said.

"Levi." Sephiroth called out.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck." With that, Sephiroth left, fading away as he gave a small smirk.

"Wait—Sephiroth! Sephiroth!" He called back, to no avail. He sighed.

"Alright, let's just go." He said, and everyone did, heading to the source of the rift.

All five of the warriors were down. The last to fall was Lightning. The manikins were charging through towards them, but to her delight, the portal was finally closed. She gave one last smirk before falling unconscious.

Just as they were about to fade, the four arrived.

"Quickly, each of you grab one! I'll get two of them. Jackie, cut open a portal!" Levi instructed, throwing Jackie the dimensional scissors, and they quickly did as asked. Jackie had Laguna, Yuna had Kain, Terra had Vaan, while Levi had Tifa and Lightning. Jackie then cut open a portal, and the four quickly went through, leaving no trace of them at all. And as that happened, Shinryu began the purging of the cycle. He could not find any of the fallen five, nor the four rogues. He quickly decided that they would pay immensely when they return, and it will be painful.

"This is strange." Jackie noted as they laid down the five.

"I know. It seems as though this world is... empty." Levi said. He then grinned. "Perfect. We can fuse all the worlds of Final Fantasy here through the portals and make the nexus home here."

"That's... that's something of a magnitude unlike any other. Are you sure you can do that? And how did you even know how?" Jackie asked.

"Of course I can. I've done so much research into the dimensions and portals. I stumbled upon this a few years back, and now, this comes in very handy." He looked back at the three girls.

"Stay here. This will take a while." He opened a portal and rushed in, closing it back. The trio looked on at the closed portal.

"I've talked to him as we journeyed along. He really holds you in high regard. You're his best friend, his confidant, and most of all, his anchor." Terra said, turning to Jackie.

"Yeah, and not only that, she's said most of the same things that you said about him about her too. What do you feel about him, Jackie? It's like you two really have been best friends for years." Yuna said, tipping in her own words.

"Honestly, guys, first of all, you wouldn't believe this even if I tried to convince you guys otherwise. Me and Levi... we've only been best friends for little less than a _year_. But even now, at this short amount of time, compared to most, if not all, of the boys I've met, he's the best. He's been nothing but kind, sweet, caring..." She paused to sigh. "I think... no, I know that I'm in love with him. Sure he has his fair share of flaws, but I do too, and he's been very accepting of that, and in return, I accept his flaws too."

"Even if..." Terra trailed off.

"Even if what, Terra? Is there... something wrong? Did something happen in your travels with him?" Jackie asked.

Terra hesitated, but eventually relented after convincing herself that Levi would understand. So she began to explain everything on that night. Once she was done, surprise was evident.

"No way... this... this isn't him. I know him. He isn't like that. To hurt someone, even if it was the enemy, that much." Jackie said.

"Yes. Even I believe him in that. Don't worry. Even if he doesn't show it or say it himself, he wants to find a way to suppress that." Terra said back.

"I think... I think that explains why you blacked out earlier. You were his link, his anchor. When he needed someone to help him fend off his own darkness, you were there. Your heart was, in a way, linked to him. You were his strength to cage his dark self again. Your heart glowed, until when he turned back to normal, in which it too returned to normal." Yuna surmised, piecing the events together.

Jackie chuckled at that. "Heh. Even though we're so far away, we still find a way to be together."

"I'll say. I kinda wish it was like that with me and Tidus." Yuna said, somewhat lamenting her current situation with Jecht and Tidus. Jackie lowered her head.

' _Right... in the game his dad sacrificed his life for Tidus, thus both switched sides, and Yuna didn't even get to live past the cycle.'_ She thought. _'I'm gonna change that. No... we're gonna change that.'_

"Don't worry, Yuna. We'll do something. Together." Jackie assured her, in which the summoner smiled in return. "Though in the meantime, we can't let them just lie down like that. This world is so... well... empty. Wait..." Jackie closed her eyes. Seconds later, there appeared five beds. She opened her eyes, and looked on in astonishment. "Well, I was right. While this world is empty, we can use our minds to shape the world itself and have anything we want to appear. But first, let's lay them down." She instructed.

Much time passed as they waited for Levi to finish connecting all the worlds. Finally a portal appeared, and Levi came out of it, though looking worse for wear, including burn marks all over his body. His response to their surprise was a laugh.

"Long story, don't worry. The portals should be opening up right about..." He paused. "...now." And just as he said it, thirteen portals appeared around the field. All were differently colored to represent the world the portal leads to.

"You... you did it? No way..." Terra looks around. "I mean... are these... real?"

"They're real enough." He answered.

"Okay, I don't know how you can top off something amazing like this. I just can't think of anything else." Jackie said, overjoyed that he was actually able to do it.

"Took a lot out of me to actually do it. If you're wondering how I was able to do this... well, that story's for another time." He said. He reached out his arms towards her. She happily accepted it.

"We're going to end this war our way. I assure you that."

"I know. They deserve a better ending. Not that I minded the real ending, but you get the point."

Levi chuckled. "Yeah. I do." He pressed his forehead against hers.

"We won't forget this, won't we?" He asked, his voice shaking a bit, as if he was afraid.

"What are you talking about? Of course we won't. We're together." She confidently answered. Levi then put a mock-confused expression.

"Huh? Haven't we always been together? We've been best friends since we met, right?"

He got a punch in the arm for that.

"You know what I mean, silly." They both laughed. They turned to the two girls, who were wearing big smiles. Suddenly both were embarrassed.

"Did we... did we take that long for you two to wait?" Levi asked. Both shook their heads.

"Not at all." They said. Quickly both shook off their embarrassment as they still have things to fulfill. He took out his scissors and cut open the portal heading back to the main world.

But before he could leave, however, he had one more thing to say.

"Yuna." He called out.

"Yes, Levi?" She asked.

"Watch over them, alright?"

"Of course. Just as long as you three make it safely with this." Levi nodded. Yuna walked back to the five. Levi cut open the portal leading back to the main world.

"Ready?" He asked. The two nodded. He turned back to the portal and jumped in, the two following suit, leaving behind the summoner. The portal then closed.

When the three arrived, however, they were immediately met with a blast of magic energy. They struggled to rise up. Without warning, Terra was struck again, this time more severely. This knocked the esperkin out.

"TERRA!" Both yelled.

"Did you really think that I would be pleased with your interference?!" An omnipotent voice spoke. Both quickly realized who this being was.

' _Shinryu.'_

"You didn't have to hurt her, damn it!" Levi said.

"And why should I not? You two have altered everything in this war!"

"What the hell do you think war is for? Absolutely nothing! We're trying to do what we can to CHANGE or even END it because you don't want to!" Jackie retorted.

"You don't understand that it is not the right time! What makes you think you two can do what others have failed to do?!"

"The same way others have thought about us, and me especially. And that is to prove you wrong!" Levi answered the dragon's question.

He felt himself lifted up to the air. And he was struggling to breathe.

"LEVI! Let him go!" Jackie pleaded. She felt him like he was dying as he struggled, the dragon's hold on his neck crushing him every second.

"I will, and I will allow you two to do what you can in the next cycle to prove me wrong and end the war." He paused. "But only on one condition."

"I don't care about what the condition is! I accept, so let him go now! And we will end it, I assure you on my goddamned life!" She defiantly said. She could almost feel him chuckle. Then she felt light-headed, followed by her eyes feeling tired. She fell unconscious, but not before seeing his body fall right next to her, followed by hearing three ominous words from the omnipotent being:

"Then it's agreed."

* * *

The next time Levi woke up, Terra was nowhere to be found. And it had been some time into the new cycle.

"Ugh... what the hell happened?" Levi groaned, sitting up. He then felt a lot of weight on his back, and he knew who this was.

"I almost lost you again, damn it. He held you, almost as if he really was going to kill you. I had no choice. So many times now something like this has happened. First the time I nearly stabbed you to death, and now this. I just want this to end." Jackie told him, her arms wrapped around him. He placed his on top of hers.

"Hey, I'm here, Jackie. I'm still here right? I'm not gonna leave you. You won't lose me. And we will end this. I promise." He assured her. Still, he could feel her shake. He took her arms away from him so that he can turn around, embracing her as he did.

"Hey, come on, this isn't the Jackie who became my best friend. Come on, smile for me. I know you wanna smile. Come on, I ain't dying just yet. Smile for me, come on." He encouraged her. Each time he repeated the phrase, it brought her more and more to smile, and she eventually did. He smiled back. "Ah, that's the Jackie I know who's my best friend." He said, pressing his forehead against hers. "Try not to break down so much. You look better when you're composed."

He received a punch on his chest for that. "Moment killer." She said, laughing a bit. He laughed as well. Jackie then rested her head on his chest, and they stayed like that for a good amount of time. Though eventually, they both knew what was needed to be done.

"We still have a plan to enact. Where do we begin?" She asked.

"We'll get Sephiroth, and it all goes straightforward from there." She nodded, and both ran off.

Planet's Core. Currently, Sephiroth and Cloud were in a staredown as they prepared to battle. They clashed. All the while the two witnessed the battle unfold.

At one point both the former soldier and the fallen hero clashed all around the field, leading to Sephiroth seeing Levi.

' _Wait a second...'_ He thought. His thoughts were then interrupted when he was struck by the Buster Sword.

"Focus, Sephiroth!" Cloud tried to strike again, only to be deflected by Masamune. Undaunted, Cloud struck again, this time hitting its mark.

"It all ends here." He struck again, forcing Sephiroth to crash to the ground. "Go back to sleep." He then struck downwards, but the fallen hero managed to quickly recover and counter.

"Accept it." With a swing of his sword Sephiroth created little air blades that managed to stagger Cloud, forcing the spiky-haired blonde to block with his sword. Masamune glowed.

"I am the one that guides you-" He swung his sword, creating an attacking force towards him. "-forever!" Cloud was blown away. He lands on the ground, the sword out of his grasp.

"I've seen enough." Levi stated, coming down. "Sephiroth, we have a plan to end the war. I'm sure you still remember it, right?"

Sephiroth held his head as he tried to remember. Still, a con of transition to a new cycle despite winning the last is that you don't remember the previous one immediately. One only remembers if it's triggered by something, or over time they do remember.

"What... are you talking about?" Cloud asked as he was helped up by Jackie.

"We devised a plan to end the war, on more peaceful terms. We needed both your help. We could've also needed Terra's, but for now, she needs to face Kefka." He explained. "I knew that for the two of us alone, we won't be able to do this, but with you two, we have a chance."

"Right. I remember now." Sephiroth said.

Levi smiled. "Alright, then. Let's get going. Unless you want to leave us, Cloud. But that's alright."

"No, don't count me out yet."

With that, the four left.

* * *

" _This is how the plan works."_

" _At first I thought about having Yuna with us to make sure that we have backup in case things go awry, but I realized how much this may actually make it worse, so I decided to exclude her."_

" _Jackie, you and Terra go and try to convince Cosmos to see light in ending the war and see if we can be able to make peace with Chaos, seeing as how Terra eventually sides with Cosmos. Sephiroth, you're with me to try and convince Chaos to do the same."_

" _Shinryu isn't going to take kindly to that." Jackie said._

" _I know. But we can't let that get to us. What matters is that we just end this."_

"And that's how we do it. It's simple, really. We had to change up the fact that we need Terra because she needs to face her torment, and it wouldn't be fair to her if we just took that away from her. That, and well, she doesn't really remember us, since the cycle went as planned." Levi explained to Cloud.

"And you're sure?" He asked.

"Best we can do. Yeah I'm good at fighting, but I'd rather settle this type of thing as peacefully as possible without casualties. Any questions?"

"We don't have any more time for this. Questions will have to wait." Sephiroth said, interrupting whoever would've spoken next.

"Agreed." The three decided. The four then stopped at the interdimensional rift.

"I guess this is where we split up." Jackie said.

"Yeah. Best case scenario is that both agree and will convene somewhere. Worst case, both disagree. Do what you must if the entire thing goes south." Levi instructed. All four nodded, and the four split into the duos in opposite directions.

And yet, despite what the four expected, they actually had no trouble heading towards their intended destination at all. Jackie and Cloud arrived in Order's Sanctuary quickly enough, where they saw Cosmos alone.

"Cosmos?" Jackie called out as they neared the goddess. She opened her eyes, and she smiled at them.

"Ah, Jackie. And you too, Cloud."

"Were you.. expecting us?" Cloud asked.

"I know what you are going to ask of me. You want that the war be ended on peaceful terms." She answered, surprising both.

"Yeah, yeah that's right. So... are you willing to work things out with Chaos?" Jackie asked.

"Before all of this, I knew the risks we were willing to take to leave the world. That meant that my child is going to be my enemy. If there's any chance to end this with both of us living, I'd take that chance."

"Wait... Chaos is your son?" She asked.

"He was Cid's creation, as I am too. But he loved me all the same, and we loved our child. We know that for so long, he may have forgotten. I want to make sure that this nightmare comes to an end." Cosmos explained.

"Well... this was easier than we thought. But what about your heroes? Including this guy right here?"

Cosmos's only response was a warm smile. "We'll find out once this is all over, child."

* * *

"Hello, Garland." Sephiroth said. Both had arrived at Chaos's throne, finding the god of discord and the aforementioned armored warrior.

"Sephiroth. Have you turned on us so soon already?" Garland asked. Levi shook his head.

"No, Garland, we've found a way to end the war, without casualties." The prince replied.

"Oh? And how can you, if every cycle has proven to be all for a greater purpose!" He immediately struck, while Sephiroth shielded Levi with Masamune, while Chaos merely watched. "There will always be conflict, and this is the cycle of the war!"

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Levi responded to Garland's attacks with a huge fist sent towards his entire body. He resisted the punch, however, and deflected it. Sephiroth this time was able to strike first with a wave of sword slashes. Levi assisted him with his own darkness-infused attacks.

"Garland! Enough of this... pointless drivel." Chaos ordered, causing all three to stop, and Garland to bow down

"It's you... the boy. You say that the war can end in another way?" He asked.

"Yeah. We don't need to fight anymore against our enemies."

"How are you so certain about this?" Garland asked, skeptical.

"We found a dimension. We can be able to leave this world and not be restricted to just fighting. In there, there are separate portals leading to the home worlds of everyone there. As a whole, the new world can be for anyone who had participated in the cycles. A world that they can go to if they want." Levi explained.

"What of us, then? What of me, who knows that I have no world to return to?" Chaos asked.

"Then you can make the world your own home. The world there isn't just for them, you know. It can also be your own homeworld. In general, you and Cosmos will still be the leaders of your sides of conflict, but you won't need to fight. Don't tell me that you're not tired of having to fight over and over. What of your memories?"

"My... memories?"

"Right. What is Cosmos to you? Tell me. She isn't just your enemy. I know there's more than that." He asked.

"Cosmos..."

"Are you willing to settle things with Cosmos?"

Chaos was silent. He contemplated, wondering what would happen if the cycles would end just like that. He was understandably doubtful of the boy who told him of this. After all, it would be strange coincidence for someone to arrive all so suddenly and then say that they've found a way to end the war through other means. But still, if it was a way to end it, then he'd take it. Eventually, he gave a nod.

Levi smiled and Sephiroth smirked. Garland sighed. "If that is what you wish." He only said. The god stood up from his throne.

"I only desire the end of this needless conflict."

* * *

Now, both omnipotent beings stood against each other, the four who went with them standing by, waiting, along with Garland.

"Cosmos." Chaos greeted.

"Son." Cosmos greeted back.

"Tell me... why did we even begin this conflict? I find myself... unable to remember how this all started. Did we have a home?"

"We were stranded here after escaping from Onrac, our home. Shinryu forged a pact with Cid, that would unfortunately pit us on opposite sides, so that eventually, we will be able to return home after a certain time." Cosmos began.

She paused a bit before continuing, "For so long, I felt the pain from losing my warriors each cycle. Not in that I weakened every time I lost a warrior, but also emotionally. They were like a family to me. I've bonded with them, guided them, took care of them... and yet I still lost everything each time." She gave herself a small laugh. "I still remember the end of that pact. You were so reluctant to fight against me, but you and I both knew we had no choice. If we wanted to return home, we had to do this. Though I saw your pain too. You lost your memories over time. You forgot the purpose, other than this had to be done. As a mother, it hurt me."

She looked up at him. "No matter what has happened in the past, I didn't forget that you were still my son. I only want this to end so that you, Cid, and I could be reunited as a family. And now we have that chance. These two newcomers were able to think of this in so little time. I am so thankful for them." She turned to the two and smiled. They smiled in return. "We can start anew once more. To guide those who were with us in the past. Will you trust me?"

He looked down at her. "Where is father?" He asked.

"Even I don't know the answer to that." She answered.

After a few seconds, he held out his hand. "I still do not remember much about us. However, I will still put my trust in you, as you are the only one who has loved me along with my father. That I can remember."

Instead of shaking his hand, Cosmos went ahead and embraced the being she knew as her son. Though something happened so suddenly.

He changed. He was reduced in size until he was only a few inches above his head. The wings also shrunk. He changed color. His mouth also changed. Now, he was still a monster, but one who's still relatively normal-looking, unlike the hulking monster that he was. Though he still retained most of his strength.

Their energies brought on all the warriors summoned back to the area. And while some had their crystals like Terra, Firion, and Bartz, others were just about ready to battle each other, and others were looking confused. Though the Chaos warriors that were defeated were also returned to the field.

"This is rather... unexpected." The Emperor spoke. "I'm supposed to be... dead."

"Ya think so, you fashion wannabe? I was ready to face my son head-on!" Jecht said.

"Don't think this is over, dad! I still wanna fight you!" Tidus said, smiling.

"You got that right, kiddo." He said back.

Levi turned to the others.

"Everyone listen. We've found a way to end the war. We can all go home now." He said.

He was suddenly embraced by Terra, who showed him the crystal. He smiled at her. He embraced her in return.

"I knew you would be strong enough." He said.

Overall, the aura surrounding the entire field became lighter, and without the war in everyone's minds, they started to converse with one another. Kefka was still annoyed, though, that there would be no more destruction. However, he decided to just let things slide for the day. A pair of brothers were watching all of this side by side. And Cecil noticed the shift in Golbez's body.

"Something bothering you, brother?" Cecil asked.

"No, not in the slightest. It seems the prince and the girl was able to resolve all of this." Golbez remarked. "I am relieved that all of this has come to an end. Now... we can live as brothers again." Cecil smiled at that.

Jackie cut open a portal. "Alright everyone, let's get back now. You all have your homes to return to." She instructed, guiding everyone through the portal. The last ones to exit the world are the two of them. They saw everyone was gone now once they got through, save for Cosmos, Chaos, and Yuna.

"You guys!" The summoner said, embracing both of them, who happily returned the embrace. "You did it!" They pulled away afterwards.

"Yeah. We sure did alright." Levi said.

"You gave everyone a happy ending. They can now return to their homes and return here if they wanted to. I owe you two so much." She said.

"It was what we wanted to do." Jackie said.

Yuna stared back into the portal to her home world. "Well, I have to go now. Thank you for all of this, and I hope we meet again someday!" She ran off.

The two looked at each other. "Shall we?" Levi asked.

Jackie nodded. "Let's go home."

And they did.

Getting back home, it was now nighttime. They felt tired. They changed their clothes to their nightwear and said their goodnight to each other. Both went to sleep. Worries for the next day would be for the next day.

They never did notice that their memories of each other during their battle were altered. When he found that he can't erase their memories, in exchange for not killing Levi, he altered certain memories of each other instead so that they never knew of the confession, and that they never knew that they loved each other in the first place.

The two proved him wrong, but it was too late to revert those memories back. Shinryu left the world altogether, but not before having Cid be transported to Chaos and Cosmos's home world. The three were now a family again.

Still, all that mattered to them were that they were able to defy and change everything in their time together on that world. In the end, they were proud of that.

* * *

 **AN: That's the end of this story arc. And I'm not too proud of it. I felt like I didn't do a good job at this. I just wanted to end this quickly, so I merged both this and the thirteenth cycle chapter and resolved all I thought I needed to resolve. We'll be returning back to their home and continue their adventures.**

 **Anyways, this is the first of three chapters I updated at once, just as a form of apology for the arc I made and not updating for a month and a half.**

 **Don't forget to review. See you all in the next update.**


	22. Year 2 - Freeze Day

**Freeze Day  
When Star accidentally freezes time, leaving her and Marco unfrozen, she gets help from Levi and Jackie, also unfrozen, as they head to the Plains of Time to set things right.**

* * *

It had been only almost a few hours since the duo's time on the overworld of Dissidia Final Fantasy.

The minute Levi woke up on this day, he felt something bad was about to ruin the day already for him. He looked at his alarm clock, saw the time, widened his eyes, panicked, and quickly rushed to Jackie's room, with the intent to wake her up.

"JACKIE, WAKE UP! WE'RE GONNA BE SO LATE!" Levi yelled at her sleeping form.

She groaned and yawned as she rose. "Wha-what time is it?"

"Oh, I don't know, about 7:30?!" He said, rather sarcastically, almost to the point that he yelled at her again.

"Seven-thirty... just give me a few more minutes..." She fell back on the bed. Levi sighed in exasperation as he left her room to go quickly change. The time stayed stuck on her head until she was fully awake and absorbed the meaning of those words. "...wait a second... seven-thirty... school starts in... OH CRAP!" She does the same, changing her clothes at a breakneck pace. Both came out of their rooms, colliding into each other. Both crashed onto the floor. They stared at one another.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Hey." She greeted back. Both then quickly stood up, heading downstairs. They had their bags with them.

"Let's go! We can use my skateboard to get there faster!" Jackie said, once Levi closed the door to their house. She took the skateboard and got on it. Levi did the same. He held onto her waist. They then left as quickly as they could.

The time was 7:54.

Meanwhile, just about five minutes ago...

"That is so cute... wait a sec, a nod? That's it?" Star asked.

"I'm working on it. It's step 4 of my 23-step plan: nodding everyday. It's all gonna come together, you'll see." Marco responded.

"But... you haven't even gotten truly the nerve to talk to her, by yourself, and Levi's already best friends with her! Heck, if one were to look at those two, they'll assume that they've been together for months now!" Star said back.

"I know that!" He exasperatedly raised his arms in the air. "I just... man... ever since Levi's arrived here, it's like I've felt my chances of being with Jackie are slipping. It's unfair that he's had so much progress already, though maybe because she's his first friend here, and that he's so confident may have a contributing factor there. I just want to give myself a chance, you know? To prove that I can be confident as well, that I can have a chance to date her."

Just then, a laser puppy then shot lasers at Marco's hands. "Hey, down! Down boy!" He fell over from tripping on the puppy. "Bad laser puppy! Shoo!" He said, and the puppy just leaves, barking. He looked at the clock. "Look, Star, it's 7:54, so can't you just, um, you know, freeze time or something?!"

Upon hearing that, Star scoffed at his request, laughing. "Oh, yeah, yeah, sure, sure. Seriously Marco, all of this for... well whatever." She raised her wand, glowing as she chanted, "Easy Peasy Time Freezie!"

* * *

"Wait... Jackie, notice something weird here?" Levi asked, forcefully stopping the skateboard ride. Jackie might've been surprised by the sudden stoppage, causing her to careen forward, but she was in her best friend's grasp, stopping that from happening.

"Aside that you stopped all of a sudden, what is it?" She asked, looking back at him.

"Look around you. It's like everything just stopped moving." He said. Jackie noticed his observation. The birds, the clouds, the people, they all stopped moving.

"It's like... it's like as if time stopped all of a sudden. And yet we're the only ones who can still move." Jackie said.

Levi sighed. "Y'know, I wonder if Star's behind this. This has her written all over it."

"Don't blame her for that, you know. Maybe she stopped time for a good reason." Jackie said. Levi shook his head, laughing a little.

"I know. I don't blame her at all, really. These kinds of things are part of the reason why I love her as another sister of mine." He said. The blonde smiled.

"I'm glad you and Star have gotten that close. It's like when you two are here, things just seem to be both calm _and_ chaotic, and yet still keep an aura of closeness, you know. Or something similar to that." She said.

"I understand what you mean, Jackie." He comfortingly said. He looked around. "So, what do you want to do? As far as I can tell, time will stay frozen for a while. So no school at the moment." She turned to him with a smirk.

"Well, I do have some stuff I'd love to do while we're out here like this..."

He held a smirk of his own. "I'd love to hear your ideas then..."

After sixty hours, they ended up eating back on the school grounds, burgers on hand.

"Those sixty hours were some of the best times I've ever had." Jackie said.

"Agreed. We went go-karting, playing video games, a bit of training, sightseeing out of town, and a lot of other cool stuff too! Sure we kinda slept in-between some of those things, but other than that, at least we're back here again, having these awesome burgers." Levi said, summarizing the events. "Though I wonder where are Star and Marco?" He asked aloud.

Suddenly he heard two very familiar voices.

"That was the funnest sixty hours of my life!" Marco said as he laughed with Star, both walking along inside the school.

"Oh hey there's Levi and Jackie! And they're unfrozen!" She said, spotting the two. "Hey you guys—wait a minute..." She greeted but then widened her eyes as she thought to herself in shock, _'_ _They're unfrozen?!'_ She then looked at Marco, who froze at the sight of Jackie, who looked back at him, smiling.

"Hey, you two." Levi greeted back. "I'm glad to see you two unfrozen in time unlike everyone else. I _wonder_ who could've caused this, hmmmm?"

Star knew at that moment she had been found. "Um, um, I can explain! No, really, I can!" She pleaded.

"Alright Star, go on." He said, trying his best not to smile.

"O-okay, well, it started off earlier during the day—wait is it still earlier if the time hasn't changed? Ah, never mind. Anyways, Marco was panicking that it was almost 7:56 and that he was getting late for-"

Marco immediately covered her mouth, cutting her off while telling the two, "Ah ah ah, no need to know that. We were just getting late, yeah." Even with her mouth covered, Star let out a surprised "Whaaaaaat?" at his explanation.

"But to the point that Star had to freeze time?" Levi questioned.

Before Marco could respond, Star took his hand and covered his mouth in return. "Well, yeah, I had to. I mean, it was pretty important we don't get late today, you know."

"Well, alright." Levi said, shrugging.

"Hey, Star?" Jackie called her out, now standing up.

"Yeah, Jackie?" She said, turning towards her.

"If it's not too much to ask, can you be able to unfreeze time?" She asked, with a small smile.

Star smiled back. "I think this should be as easy as freezing time back." She chanted, "Easy Peasy Time Unfreezie!"

Unfortunately, nothing happened.

"Huh? That didn't work? Let me try again. Easy Peasy Time Unfreezie!" She tried again, with the same result.

The princess sighed. "Sorry, guys. I messed up big time again, didn't I?" She said, looking at them with a sad smile. Levi shook his head and approached her.

"Nah, you didn't. We can still find a way." He embraced her to comfort her, and she returned it in kind. When he tried to pull away, he found that he couldn't. He looked at Star, who looked as if she also froze.

"Star? Come on, stop playing the jokes. I think everyone knows you're not frozen right guys?" He said as he looked to the two, only to find them frozen as well.

"Guys? Oh come on, not you guys too." He said. He then felt the arms on his back loosen up. He saw Star laughing just a bit. He looked to the other two who laughed as well.

"Sorry, Levi. Thought I could mess you with that." She said. Levi sighed, shrugged, and laughed along as well.

"Well, you almost had me there." He embraced her again, and just like before, she took it in kind.

The four were now back in Marco's house, in Star's bedroom. Star pulled out her Magic Instruction Book from underneath her bed. The other three were behind her as well, looking at the book.

"Alright, Magic Instruction Book. Help me out in how to fix this." She said aloud, opening the book to a page with Glossaryck on it, who was also frozen.

"Oh no. Glossaryck's frozen as well." She said.

"Well that's kinda good. I never really liked the guy to be honest. Scrape the sides, buddy." Marco said, turning the page.

Jackie looked at Levi, confused. He just shrugged and both turned back to the book. Star continued to turn the pages.

"Let's see... what do you do if you make a dimension explode... what do you do if you delete gravity..." She let out a soft gasp at that one. At that moment Levi gave her a look that said 'No, absolutely not.' while Marco told her, "Don't get any ideas."

Star sheepishly smiled and chuckled as she continued turning the pages. "Heh heh, sorry about that." She said as she stopped on the page. "Ah, here it is! What do you do if you freeze time. We can make time move forward if we go to the Plains of Time and push the Wheel of Progress." She closed the book and stood up, taking her dimensional scissors and cutting open a portal to the Plains of Time.

"C'mon guys, let's go!" She said and hopped into the portal. Marco followed quickly, with the other two following suit.

The Plains of Time is a rather strange place to be in, what with the purple sand and melting clocks strewn all around. That, and the frozen waterfalls and streams too. And the hourglass. And the cuckoo-clock. It isn't called the Plains of Time for nothing. This was what all four had thought about the plains.

"This is definitely one of the weirder places we've been to." Marco noted.

"Even weirder than that dimension of cats with human faces?" Star retorted. Both proceeded to have flashbacks, and both shuddered. The other two shuddered as well.

"Thanks for the mental images, you two." Levi said, shaking his head.

"Hey guys, I think that's the thing we're looking for." Jackie said, pointing to a giant wheel/gear. Star looked a bit amazed by it.

"That's gotta be the Wheel of Progress. Though it looks more like a giant hamster wheel, really." Marco said. Levi walked around it, trying to think of a possible way to make it move.

"How do we get this thing to move?" Star asked, also walking around it.

"Let me see if I got this." Marco said. He then approached it and tried to move it by simply pushing it, and it didn't budge. He tried other methods, all ending with his head landing in the space between two of the wheel spokes. He sighed. "I give up."

"New plan. Rainbow Raccoon Rotation!" Star conjured a Rotating Raccoon... which just stood next to her, mimicking her movements. Star sighed.

"Let me see what I can do." Levi said. Dark energies sprouted from his arms, enlarging them to look like actual arms. He tried pushing it as well, to no avail. He motioned to Jackie to assist him. She did the same with her light energies. They both tried to push it.

Suddenly, it budged just a bit. Both stopped and all four looked at each other in shock.

"PUUUUUUUSH!" All four yelled as they pushed the wheel. Unlike last time, though, it didn't move. All four were sprawled onto the ground, catching their breaths.

"Okay... okay... that... did _NOT_ work in our favor." Star said, panting.

"Yeah... remind me... to never try that again." Levi said. Jackie agreed.

"Whoa, seems like you four tried to move it with both magic and force. Magic won't work on that, you know, and you're using your force on the wrong place. You need to use the magic of your toesies." A tall, bearded, blue man approached them.

Star looked up at him. "Who are you?"

The man held his arms outstretched. "I'm Father Time, master of time, right up there in my name really. I'm the ruler of these plains, though there isn't much to rule if I can't even leave... oh, and this is Rocksworth." He picked up a rock that he had with him, holding it out to them. "He's a rock, but don't bring that up when he's here. He's very sensitive about it. Luckily he's asleep, so he won't hear me." He petted Rocksworth.

"So you're Father Time? Then you've got to be the one who knows how to operate the wheel." Jackie said. Father Time then continued moving.

"Yeah, pretty much. Hey look! I'm over here, and now I'm over there! Hee hee!" He said.

"So how long were you on the wheel?" Star asked as she and Marco stood up.

Father Time stopped and placed his hand underneath his chin. "Well, if I remember right... forever. That is until someone cast a freeze spell and knocked me out of it." He then spotted a mud puddle and ran towards it.

"What's this?" He asked. Star looked at him in confusion. "Uh, mud?"

He jumps down to the mud, rolling in it, a bright smile on his face. "This is glorious! I love mud." He then slathered mud on his tongue, which he quickly regretted doing so by gagging in disgust and spitting it on Marco's face, which he wiped it off.

"So, uh, Mr. Time, how do you feel about getting the universe starting up again?" He asked. He was ignored by the master of time, however.

"Why, oh why have I not heard of this for so long?" He asked aloud, picking up some of the mud. Star then called out to him, which he turned to look.

Star slathered some of the mud on the wheel.

"You can play with mud on your wheel." Star proposed. Marco played along with her, trying to convince him to accept the offer.

Father Time thought about it. "Well... that is a rather enticing offer, but nah."

"Argh!" Marco exclaimed.

"Sorry you two, but I think I saw mud that's a slightly different color. Bye!" He ran off. The two widened their eyes and followed chase.

"Wait!" Marco called out. "You can't just leave time stopped!"

That left Jackie and Levi behind, both still lying down.

"Should we chase him too?" The skater asked. Levi shrugged.

"Nah. They caused this. At the very least they have to pay for that." He nonchalantly said. He received a punch on the arm for that.

"Come on, Levi. We still have to help them." She said.

The prince eventually relented. "Well, alright. But after five minutes."

She cutely pouted a bit in response. "Three minutes." She countered.

"Oh alright. Anything for you." He said, laughing at the end.

And as agreed, three minutes passed, and the two stood up, seeing Star and Marco continue chasing Father Time, having crossed a stream. The two nodded to each other and ran ahead. They decided to just run through the water. However, running through the water felt like walking through a pit of molasses, as it slowed them down. They still did get through the stream, however.

They saw a huge building, and along with that, Star and Marco, who went in. They decided to go inside as well. There they saw numerous television screens inside. Both Star and Marco were watching one of the screens. They looked around the building.

"Ooh, the Battle of Lexington! Nailed it there." Marco praised.

"Is this... the entire history of the universe?" Jackie asked, slightly unsure. Levi gave a slight nod, unsure of this as well.

From the ceiling, a giant eyeball extended down and focused its gaze at Star. All of the screens then show Star as a baby.

She gasped. "It's... it's me!" The screens then show some moments from her early life, from baby Star playing with toys, young Star having a joyride on the royal carriage, and young Star learning swordfighting skills from her babysitter.

"I remember that!"

The screens changed into more moments from her life, including her friendship with Pony Head and the activities they've done.

She laughed. "Watching me is fun." The last moment shown on the screen was her in her regal outfit riding a Warnicorn to the castle on the day she was to be given the wand.

The screen closed, leaving Star with a mirror image of her. She waved hi towards herself.

"This must keep track of everything we've done in our lives." Marco noted.

Levi felt dread, not knowing where it came from, along with a bit of fear. The eyeball then focused on Marco. The screen showed him in kindergarten, where he spotted Jackie and nodded at her. This would transition to elementary and high school. As he watched, along with the other three, Marco had a deep realization.

"Wow, I've been nodding for a long time. I didn't think I'd have stayed in that step for so long now."

So did Jackie. _'So he's always felt that about me.'_

The screen cut to static, and Marco saw in the screen Jackie's reflection. He widened his eyes and turned back. He calmed down quickly to face her.

"Well... cat's out of the bag. I've... had a crush on you. For a long time." He confessed. She let out a deep breath.

"I'll be a bit honest, Marco. If not for both Star and Levi pushing it, we wouldn't exactly be on talking terms. I wouldn't have minded knowing you even without these two, however. But, it seems like I'm knowing you more every time the four of us go on an adventure together, you know? You've always been a bit shy, Marco. You're kind, I know that. You're cautious, sometimes to a fault. But no one could blame you for that. You just have to be more confident. You don't always need to have a 'bad boy' image as Star tells me sometimes. You just have to be... you. I don't really know what to say about your crush on me, but... well... just remember what I said, okay?" She said, giving a small smile.

"Well... this is a lot to take in, to be honest with you. I've had a crush on you for a long time. But, I guess with everything out now, I really don't have much of a choice, don't I? Even I don't know what to do. But I'll try to take that advice as best as I can." Marco said. Star placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. They looked at each other and smiled.

The eyeball then focused on Jackie. The screens showed pivotal moments in her life, from meeting and becoming best friends with Janna, to one of her birthdays, and a time when she and her parents bonded.

As Jackie watched, she felt a tear falling from her left cheek. "These were better days."

The screens then showed her alone in the house, wondering where her parents are. It then changed to her crying alone in her bedroom. It changed once again to her mom visiting her on her birthday. Then it went to her being alone in the house on a later date. Then switching to her spending time with Janna.

"I... I didn't think Jackie... just... no way..." Star said, surprised.

"Yeah. She... didn't have much since that day." Levi explained it as best as he could. "Before me, Janna was all she had going for her, as she was the only one who knew the real her behind the coolness she had. She hid so much."

The last moment on the screen was her first meeting with Levi. Both of them smiled.

"That day changed everything for us." Both of them said. The screen closed, leaving Jackie to look at her reflection. Levi mimicked Star's earlier action and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Both smiled at each other.

Lastly, the eyeball focused on Levi.

The screen showed him, at four years old, playing with an individual older than him, his brother. They were playing hide and seek. The older figure was the one looking for Levi, and he eventually found him. They were about to play more, until he was called by a monster guard from the castle. He sighed and smiled at him, hugged him, told him some words, and left.

The next moment showed a slightly older Levi, who was now six, walking towards his brother, curious of what he was doing. His brother saw him approaching him and smiled. He asked him something, and Levi readily agreed. They were about to play again until he was called. He sighed. He turned back to him and smiled, embracing him, speaking a few words. He then left. The younger Levi frowned.

"What happened to you, brother? We never played that much then since I was six." The present Levi said to himself.

The screen then showed him and his brother, eagerly waiting outside the door. It opened to reveal a younger Yelena, dressed in her royal outfit. Both brothers smiled. The older brother picked her up and had her on his shoulders. Yelena was smiling and laughing as the three left the hallway and outside, ready for a day between the three siblings.

Levi smiled at that. That was one of his favorite memories. The others smiled too.

The screen then changed into Levi, now almost eight years old, kneeling over his brother, who was lying on the floor, blood seeping on his left side. Present Levi realized what this was in horror and realized the dread of what will happen next.

"No! Stop! END THIS! DAMN IT! END THIS! CUT IT OFF! CUT IT OFF!" He pleaded. "PLEASE! I CAN'T RELIVE THAT AGAIN!" He begged, to no avail. He collapsed on his knees, covering his head, almost crying.

"Levi! Levi! What's wrong?" Jackie asked.

"Jackie... you might want to look." Star solemnly said. Jackie looked up.

Back at the screen, a dagger was between the two brothers. Levi's brother spoke to him, and Levi continued to shake his head, mouthing 'No' again and again. His brother took the dagger and pushed it flat on his hands. He gave him a nod. With tears in his eyes, Levi nodded back. He took the dagger and plunged it right through his brother's chest, screaming as he did. He smiled at his younger brother and closed his eyes, signaling the end of his life. Levi took the dagger back and threw it away. He leaned over his brother and hugged his prone body, weeping. The rest of his family rushed in, and everyone looked on in shock. They all rushed towards the brothers and hugged as they cried. The screen went static.

"Oh my god... Levi..." Jackie said. She hugged him harder as he cried even more.

"Damn it... damn it... why... why does this keep coming back?" He said to himself as he repeatedly slammed his fist down on the floor. She held his hand, stopping him.

Star and Marco sadly looked at the two.

"When all of us think we have it bad in the past, Levi's had it the worst." He could only say.

It was at this moment that Father Time reappeared, fumbling with a spring door stopper.

"Isn't this place incredible—whoa. Bad memories, I'm assuming?" He asked.

Star and Marco nodded. He approached the other two.

"Hey there, kid." He said. Both looked up at him. "Really sorry with what happened there. The memories could sometimes be really selective. But don't take it too hard on yourself. It's not your fault. The past is just that, the past. It's today that matters now." He said. "Just let yourself recover a bit." He stood up and looked back at the other two.

Jackie stared into Levi as she wiped away his tears. "Your brother wouldn't want you to be like this. I know I won't meet him, much less know him, but he's a caring brother and I know he loved you so much."

He chuckled. "He'd rather say that I'm not trying my best. He'd tell me that when I go down, I just get back up." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Thanks, Jackie."

"For my best friend."

The two stood up and nodded at the other three. They gave back nods as well. "Now... can we ask you to help get time moving again?" Marco asked, turning to him. Before Father Time could give an answer, however, the eyeball focused its gaze on him. The time master gasped.

The screens showed his endless run on the Wheel of Progress, depression slowly creeping in over time. Both Star and Marco, along with Levi and Jackie, who also looked at the screens, looked back at each other, sympathetic.

Father Time gave a sad smile. "Ah, all right. I guess I'll get back to getting that wheel running again. Oh well, it's only for all eternity."

Star and Marco had the same thought, though Marco voiced it out. "We can't make him. We just can't."

"There's gotta be another way to turn the wheel." Star said.

They saw Father Time petting a giant hamster.

"I think I have an idea." Levi and Star said simultaneously.

Some time passed. There was now a machine that allows the wheel to be moved without the need for Father Time to move it. He can also use it as a ride, and he and the hamsters are standing next to it.

"Well, there ya go, Father Time. Now you can go wherever you want and keep the wheel moving." Star said.

"Best of all, you can ride it with the hamsters too." Levi said.

Father Time smiled. "Aww, thanks you guys. Oh, and while you guys are still here, help yourself to some of my mud. Even the nice ones." He said, gesturing to a giant mound with several tags on different colored ones.

"We're good." Marco said.

"Was that what you were doing while we were watching in the building?" Jackie asked.

"Yup, pretty much. Oh, and by the way, don't freeze time again. It's kind of fragile. You don't want to break it. You guys know what I mean?"

The four nodded.

He nodded. "Well, so long you guys! Let's go my time hamsters!" He activated the machine. The wheel spun once more and they then left the four of them.

"Well that was a nice experience." Levi said. Jackie looked at him with a worried look. He looked back at her. "I'm alright. Don't worry." He said, holding her close to him, letting her rest her head on his chest. He then let go of her.

Both Marco and Star smile at each other. But then both had a realization.

"Wait. The wheel's moving." Star said.

The other two seem to realize it too.

"We've got to get back!" All of them said.

Star cut open a portal back to Earth, and all four stumbled into it, crashing onto each other as they landed back onto the school grounds. They all helped each other stand up.

"That was fun." Star said.

"Yeah..." Marco said.

"Let's not do that again." All four said, agreeing with each other. Star and Marco left, and Janna joined the other two, chatting and walking along.

Back in the Plains of Time, Father Time and his time hamsters were happily rolling in the mud, the wheel continuing to spin on its own thanks to their machine.

' _This is the first time in a long time that I've had this much fun for so long now. Thanks, you guys.'_ He thought, smiling.


	23. Year 2 - Mewnipendence Day

**Mewnipendence Day  
In honor of Mewnipendence Day, Star re-enacts the Great Monster Massacre.**

* * *

"What's so special about today?" Jackie asked.

"Well, if this invitation is any indication, today's Mewnipendence Day." Levi said as the two walked towards Marco's house.

"Ah, so it's basically a Mewnian Independence Day. I wonder how they got their freedom." She said in wonder.

"Ugh... I couldn't forget that we overslept again. We're late!" Levi said.

"I'm sure Star and Marco won't mind, right?" Jackie said in assurance. Levi just shrugged.

In Marco's house, Star was explaining the concept of Mewnipendence Day to the crowd, which was composed of Miss Skullnick, Sensei Brantley, StarFan13, Ed, Francis, Alfonzo, Ferguson, and Janna."And then there was fighting, fighting, fighting, and more fighting..." Star said as she quickly flipped through the pages of a book she was holding when she heard knocking on the door.

"I'll get that." Marco said. He quickly went to the door and opened it to see Levi and Jackie.

"Glad you could make it, you guys, even though you two were late." He said to them.

"Heh, sorry. We kinda overslept again today." Levi said, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"Well come on in you guys. You got the invitation with you, by the way?" Marco said, leading them inside the house.

"Yup, sure do. Though this says that we have to bring a sword?" Jackie said, confused.

"Star's idea." Marco said as they entered the living room, where they saw most of their schoolmates, along with their teacher. They immediately spotted Janna, who smiled and waved towards them.

"Janna? You're here too?" Jackie asked. She shrugged.

"Well, I'm not one to turn down something from Star and Marco. Besides, I'm curious." She said.

"Hey, guys!" Star greeted. The two waved. "You got your swords?"

"Well..." Levi conjured a dark sword, while Jackie's bracelet transformed into a light sword. "Is this good enough?"

Star gleefully jumped up and down. "Perfect! Alright, now that everyone's here, we can re-enact the Great Monster Massacre. Please group yourselves into two: Monsters and Mewnians."

The two looked at each other. "Something tells me this isn't right..." Levi said.

"Can I be a Mewnian-" Miss Skullnick asked before Star interrupted her.

"You're a monster already. That's why you were invited." She said. Skullnick grumbled and went to the Monsters group. Everyone else chose their groups, save for Marco who was stopped by Star.

"You'll be my general instead, Marco." Star said to him.

"Thanks." He said, staying by her side.

On one side, the 'Monsters' are Miss Skullnick, Ferguson, Alfonzo, Janna, Jackie, and Levi as the leader. On the other side, the 'Mewnians' are Sensei Brantley, StarFan13, Francis, and Ed, along with Star and Marco.

"Lookin' good everyone. We can now prepare the costumes, and then we can have the bloody battle." Star said, preparing her wand.

Marco raised his hand. "Yes, Marco?"

"What the heck is that?" He asked, pointing at a floating eyeball.

"Oh, that's the All-Seeing Eye. It follows you around all day." She said.

"But it's staring at me... it feels very uncomfortable." He said, the eye focusing on him.

"Don't worry, Marco. It serves as a reminder to the monsters that the Royal Family is always watching." She said. Still, Marco felt uneasy.

Star laughed. "Of course it's not actually watching you, though. Now that would be weird." She played with the eye's screen.

* * *

In Ludo's lair, he and Toffee were watching through the same eye, though in Toffee's case he's reading a Mewnian book.

"This is amazing! She thinks that it's the All-Seeing Eye, but it's not." He said.

Toffee nodded. "It's the most efficient way of spying our enemies without the need for someone to spy on them."

"Haha, I can see her pores! What secrets lie beneath this?" Ludo said, amazed.

Buff Frog arrived in the room and saluted Ludo, who interrupted him by turning towards him.

"Do you see this, Buff Frog? Now we can watch her wherever she goes, from the kitchen, the bedroom, even in the bathroom!" He said to him.

Both Toffee and Buff Frog were visibly uncomfortable with the last idea. Ludo realized this and shuddered.

"Okay, maybe we _shouldn't_ keep the bathroom channel." The diminutive avian monster said. He turned back towards the screen.

Buff Frog approached him, trying to convince him to think otherwise to use the eye. "But Ludo, this only has one eye, and this face has two. That's twice the number of eyes!"

"Ah, yes, but do your eyes let us see what you see from this screen?" Toffee asked. Buff Frog stood still for a moment and then turned to glare at Toffee.

"Hmph. Good point." He condescendingly said.

"Now that you don't have any spying work to do, I suggest you get us some popcorn and milkshakes. I'm pretty sure we're gonna binge-watch this video all night. You can join us if you want, just as long as you keep quiet and stay in the back." Ludo ordered. Buff Frog just walked away from the two, leaving the room.

Ludo laughed as he continued to watch. "She doesn't even know we're watching her!"

"Sometimes, your biggest threat is under your nose." Toffee vaguely said.

"Heh, my nose is in my beak!" Ludo replied, unaware of what the lizard monster meant. Toffee gave a snort. However, both looked confused as both saw someone else approach the eye.

It was Levi. He stared at the eye. He narrowed his eyes and gave an 'I'm watching you' gesture towards it. He then left.

"Is he onto us?" Ludo asked, a little afraid, especially since he knows how strong Levi can really be.

"No. He doesn't know yet." Toffee calmly said.

* * *

Back at Marco's house, Star, who was wearing a Queen outfit, was finishing up the costumes for the re-enactment, with the last being Ferguson's.

"This should do. That way, your 'entrails' won't be your 'out trails!'" She said, accidentally puncturing through his costume with her sword after.

"Oooh, my pillow." He said, then leaving as he fixed himself.

Marco, dressed as some sort of giant armored knight, approached Star.

"Hey, Star, I've been looking through your-hold on." He lifted open the visor on his helmet. "I've been looking through your book and something just feels... off."

Star raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean? Lemme see!" She jumped towards him trying to reach the book, but Marco was just too high, so he just dropped the book, and she caught it.

Unlike the costumes of the monsters group, the costumes of the Mewnian group were much bigger, more sturdily armored, and have bigger weapons.

Star unfolded one of the pages depicting a battle, continuously unfolding it to see the Mewnians growing larger in size, with the tiny monsters staying the same. "Hmmm..." She looked at the teams around her.

"Okay...wow. You're right Marco. I can't believe I haven't noticed that before..." She aimed her wand towards the Mewnians.

"Sharper, sharper..." She turned the swords bigger. "...stabbier..." she turned the banner bigger as well. "...and you need to be on a unicorn." She summoned a giant unicorn for Francis.

"And for the monsters..." She made their weapons disappear, except for Jackie's whose weapon is linked to her bracelet. Levi just made another one. Star shrugged.

"Hey, what do we get?" Ferguson asked.

"Well, you guys are monsters, right? Use your claws." She said, making monster sounds while emulating monster claws.

Marco tried to grab the book, but the costume made it too difficult to grab it.

"Star, I know the monsters are bad, but this seems... unfair." He said.

"Unfair?" She only said.

Then suddenly, a giant mace wielded by StarFan fell over Ferguson. She gasped. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Ferguson..."

He screamed underneath the mace. Alfonzo hurried towards him.

"Do something! He's writhing in pain!" He pleaded. Then Ferguson stopped screaming.

"Oh. Well... never mind. He stopped."

Marco walked away, calling for his mother.

Levi picked up the book, reading through every page. His eyes scanned every picture and word. He widened his eyes, slowly narrowing them after. He put down the book and worriedly looked at everyone else around him. He sighed.

' _Well... this isn't good at all.'_ He thought.

He went over to Jackie and Janna and told them everything he learned from the book. Both reacted with surprise.

"What are you going to do?" Both asked.

"The only way I know how to break everything." He turned towards the Mewnian group.

"Win."

* * *

Back inside Ludo's castle, Buff Frog gathered all the monsters in the hall. He tried to get their attention, but they only continued conversing with each other. Finally he silenced them.

"Comrades, it's beginning! Toffee replaced me with electronic eye!" He showed the All-Seeing Eye to them. However, most of them shrugged.

"Ah, but Buff Frog, we don't exactly care..." One of the monsters, Bearicorn, said.

"But you should! Toffee will soon replace you..." He pointed at Bearicorn. "...with electronic ice-cream cone! And you as well!" He pointed at the frill neck monster. "And you..." He pointed at the two-headed monster. "...um, what do you do, exactly?" He asked.

The two heads looked at each other. "Don't know, really. There's two of us, so... I guess that counts?" One of the heads said, doing his best to explain.

Toffee entered the hall and approached Buff Frog. "Are you finished?" He asked. Buff Frog could only do so much as to glare at him. He paid the frog monster no mind and turned to the crowd.

"Gentlemen!" He called out. Everyone turned to him. "Allow me to direct your attention to our new surveillance device." He pointed at the giant screen displaying the Diaz family's garden. "Princess Butterfly is re-enacting our favorite holiday: The Great Monster Massacre." He said with great contempt.

The monsters looked uncomfortable. He would soon ease out their troubles, however.

"Not to worry, all of you. We can take advantage of this opportunity." From his tux, he took out a normal-looking mace, obviously much more than that. "Why send an army after the wand when it can hand-delivered to you?" He took the TV remote controller Ludo was holding with his hands normally, and then gave it back to him with the mace.

Ludo mumbled as he took back the remote.

Toffee chuckled. "And besides, it's not like she's going to notice a real monster..."

Ludo laughed. "Those aren't real?"

Toffee, probably wondering how incredibly stupid Ludo was, and why he was working with him, only snorted as a form of agreement.

"Alright, so who would want to bring Ludo his wand?" He asked the crowd.

Everyone stepped back except for Buff Frog. For a moment, Toffee looked displeased, but changed his expression just as quickly.

Buff Frog felt the same as him, looking around him. He silently huffed, cursing his fellow monsters' cowardice. "I will go." He said with conviction.

"I thought you might... _you fat bag of garbage._ " He said, whispering the latter part to himself. He handed over the mace to him. Buff Frog then walked away to begin the mission.

Back at Marco's house, the 'battle'/ _massacre_ was about to begin, and StarFan almost smashed Ferguson again. She apologized again, while he just angrily kicked the mace.

At the balcony, Star continued to ponder about the fairness of the battle.

"Hey, Star, everything's set up! We'll start whenever you give the signal...well, or not, and we can just go eat." Marco said.

Worried about breaking tradition, she refused to cancel it, insisting to Marco and herself that it'll be fun and fine. Marco shrugged and returned to his suit.

"Jackie, stay with Janna as much as you can. I'm going to take the reins myself and get to Star." He said to Jackie. She nodded and turned to Janna, who nodded as well.

She stood up, calling out, "Knights of Mewni! Take off your stabby weapons and drive off the evil monsters!" She rose up to the sky and launched a purple skull, which was the signal to begin.

Both charged against each other, the results being fairly obvious. The Mewnians were crushing the monsters with horrifying ease.

In fear, Ferguson, dressed almost as identical as Buff Frog, hid in a tree. Meanwhile, the real Buff Frog appeared from a portal, focusing on Star's wand. StarFan almost crushed him with the mace, and she apologized yet again. His response was to only kick the mace and keep going.

"Careful!" Ludo said as he sipped from his milkshake. "What a massacre..."

Toffee watched the battlefield from his chair, stressed for the mission, while Star watched the battlefield as well, stressed for both the battle and her doubts.

Alfonzo tried to run away, only for a giant unicorn to launch him far away. This added more doubt and distrust to Star about the re-enactment. As she watched, Buff Frog climbed up the balcony, with the rest of Ludo's Army watching in interest.

At the same time, however, Levi was charging through the Mewnian group. Kicking away the unicorns and fighting off the others, he charged through them, heading up towards Star, when he was stopped by Marco.

"Let me through, Marco." He said, dark sword in hand.

"Sorry, Levi. No can do." He said back.

"Alright, then I'll make it easy for you." Levi suddenly jumped and swiped through Marco, damaging his armor and making him stumble and fall. Star saw this and widened her eyes. Everyone else in the castle looked on in shock.

' _He must abort the mission. But it's too late.'_ Toffee thought.

Buff Frog took out the mace, only for it to malfunction, losing time. That elicited more reactions from everyone in the castle, save for Toffee, as he was focused on Levi. Buff Frog decided to just take the wand with his hands, when Star noticed him.

"Ferguson?" She asked, unaware of the real Buff Frog. Buff Frog widened his eyes, but that was all he could before a unicorn attacked him, launching him away. Star looked horrified.

Buff Frog crashed onto the ground. "Ferguson!" She flied onto his spot. She looked at the unconscious body. "Marco was right. This _is_ unfair! Ferguson, are you okay?"

The real Ferguson spoke from the tree, "I'm alright. I'm just... invisible..."

"Huh?" She turned back to see Buff Frog. At that moment, Levi tackled Star.

"Oooooff!" Both grunted. Levi was the first to recover, though he could not stand up.

"Levi?" Star asked, somewhat dazed, lying on the ground. He stared down at her.

"You and I both know what really happened with the Great Monster Massacre. It was never a battle. There's a reason why it's called that. And there's a reason why sometimes history is written by the winners." He said. Star took in his words, and they struck a chord.

"I... I realize it now. It was never a fair fight. Nor was this even a fair war. It was..." Star could only cover her face with her hands as the realization dawned on her. Both heard groaning and saw Buff Frog wake up and recover. He turned towards the large frog monster, sword pointed at him.

"You have no chance of getting the wand today, Buff Frog. Leave." He told him. "Now. Before Star and I change our minds."

He quickly ran away. Star considered blasting him away, charging up her wand. Instead she let the wand die down its power, letting him run away. She and Levi turned towards each other. Levi gave her a nod. Star looked down.

"Why... why did I let myself believe in those stories?" She asked.

"We all go through that stage. We're told of the stories that make up of our home as a child. Then we find out everything can be a lie." He said. She looked back at him and saw his arms outstretched towards her. "Do you need a hug?" He asked.

She smiled a little. "Sure." He took her in and embraced her.

"By the way, how do you know about the monsters so much? You told me a lot of stories about your experience with them, and they never seem to be remotely evil towards you." Star said.

"The only difference between Mewni and Plurix is that the monsters at home are treated as equals, not trash." He said.

"Guys!" They both heard a voice calling out. They saw Jackie, Janna, and Marco. "You two okay?" Jackie and Marco asked in concern for their respective best friend.

"We're alright." They both said as they pulled away.

"That was something." Janna said.

"I'd say the experience for all of us is... harrowing, to say the least. I think a good feast shall take it off our minds." Levi suggested. All of them nodded and left the field to return to the house.

* * *

In Ludo's castle, they replayed Buff Frog's failure in repeat.

"What a disgrace!" Ludo angrily said. "This is what happens when you hire people from the swamp! Let's watch again." The fail repeated multiple times.

"Ludo, Master, I'm telling you! This thing..." He pointed at the mace. "It didn't work!"

Toffee took the mace and tested it successfully. He shrugged. "It seems to work fine for me."

Buff Frog angrily pointed at Toffee. "He sabotaged it, so that I fail the mission!"

Ludo interrupted him before he could say more. "I rescued you from the life you would've had in the swamp! I took you in, gave you pants, and this is what you do to repay me?!" He then realized Buff Frog wasn't even wearing pants. "Where are your pants?!" He asked indignantly.

"Oh, well..." He said, slightly embarrassed. Ludo grew angrier.

"Oh, get real! You brought shame to this house! Now go to your room until you've learned your lesson!" He instructed him.

Buff Frog stood still. "Well?" Ludo asked.

He looked back up to him. "No."

Ludo gasped. "No?!"

"You may have rescued me from swamp, but you never gave me respect I deserve. You have always needed me. Always. You will soon realize that. If you continue following this… this monster, then I will no longer follow you!" He said in defiance. Everyone save for Toffee gasped, with Ludo affected the most.

"You're not seriously saying..." Ludo trailed off.

"Yes. I quit." He said and left, walking away from everyone, walking away from his master, walking away from the castle, and walking away from the only life he knew. The entire castle was in deep silence.

Ludo stared at the door. Toffee brought him back to reality. "He knew what he had to do. It was either that he left on his own, or he be taken away." He said. Ludo and everyone else left, and Toffee turned away from them as he looked through the window.

' _Hmmm… you've gotten some respect from me, Buff Frog. I can respect what you did.'_ Toffee thought, looking outside as he debated his next plan of action.

* * *

Back at Marco's house, everyone was eating corn and other food and chatting with each other.

Marco approached Star. "Are you sure this is accurate?" He asked, showing the book to her.

Star took the book. "You know what? I think it's time to put the book away for good." Levi, Jackie, and Janna nodded and smiled. She gave it back to him and he put it away somewhere.

As Star was about to eat corn, and while Levi was eating some already, both saw the sad Buff Frog over a tree. Both looked to each other and nodded. Buff Frog looked over towards the window and saw two cobs of buttered corn. He wistfully smiled.


	24. Year 2 - Powerless, Part 1

**Powerless, Part 1  
One day, Levi, Jackie, and Star find that they have seemingly lost their powers! Levi and Jackie cannot seem to activate their abilities, while Star's magic wand seems to be nullified and unusable. To make things worse, all of their friends are out busy with other things, and this springs the perfect time for another plan of Toffee's, this time allied with both Ludo _and_ Lynx…**

* * *

"C'mon!" Jackie called out to Star & Levi, who were holding off the monsters, as Ludo and Toffee watched from above. Jackie was at an exit door, as she just found a way to escape.

It was the middle of the night.

"This is perfect! We now have them right where we wanted!" Ludo gleefully cheered. Toffee held a small smirk.

"Indeed. Soon enough they'll be overwhelmed, and the wand will soon be yours." The lizard monster stated.

The two young royalties pushed away the monsters far enough to give themselves space. They headed towards the blond skateboarder. The trio exited and ran as far as they could. the monsters back giving chase. They stopped after a turn, the monsters still going in the previous direction.

"Anyone have their powers back?! Narwhal Blast!" Star asked and afterwards tried to use her spell again. Much like before, it didn't work.

"I still can't use mine!" Levi said.

"Mine neither! My bracelet's still inactive!" Jackie said as she tried to charge and light up. It was still no use. She huffed in frustration.

"Grrrr, damn it! What's wrong with our powers?! Why aren't they working?!" Star yelled out in anger. She tried using her wand again but it just won't glow like before.

"Star." Levi placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find a way. I promise." He told her. The monsters spotted them again, and they were forced to go on the run from them. Eventually they reached an empty building, quickly heading inside and locking the door. Almost immediately the felt the door was being slammed upon. No doubt it was Ludo's henchmen.

"What do we do? They're gonna close in on us any moment now!" Star asked, barring the door with her body.

Levi took out his scissors. "We're gonna cut open to a dimension to get away from them. We'll come back here later." He cut open a portal to wherever it may be, took both Star and Jackie's hands, and ran into the portal.

What they didn't know was that Levi's arch-enemy, Lynx, was watching them the whole time from the darkness and the shadows. The monsters barged through, but neither party was nowhere to be seen.

Why were the trio running away from the monsters? How and why did they lose their powers? What is Lynx's involvement in this new plan of Ludo and Toffee's? For all this to be understood, events must be replayed from the previous night...

* * *

"Still feel bad, Ludo?" Toffee asked. Ludo had been sitting on the throne in front of the screen of the All-Seeing Eye for the past two days now.

"He was my servant. My very first one. He was also my best friend. My confidant. I trusted him among all of my other minions. I'd forgive him each time we failed because he's always done what he could, unlike the others, but..."

"You understood, didn't you?"

"If I truly wanted the wand, I had to make the..." He flinched before he continued speaking, "...necessary sacrifices. I felt I had no choice when I was confronted with what he had done. He only made it easier for me to shoulder the burden. But I understood. I only hope to see him again sometime soon, and that he forgives me."

"You can only hope." Toffee only said. _'Though I doubt he will forgive you considering that you've treated him like the others ever since I came here.'_ He left the throne room, but not before giving him a message.

"When you're ready, head back to the grand hall. I have another plan to get the wand."

When he closed the door, he looked back down to see the avian monster already next to him. He looked back up to him.

"Anything to get my mind off of what happened two days ago, I suppose." Toffee nodded at that.

"If you say so."

In the grand hall, all of the monsters have assembled, waiting for Toffee and Ludo. A certain mage was also waiting for them, levitation above, staying near the ceiling. He spotted the two leaders entering the hall despite the noise of the crowd.

Toffee clapped his hands twice, directing all the monsters' attention back to him and Ludo.

"Listen up. I've decided to gather some assistance with this plan. You may come down now." He motioned upwards. From there, they saw Lynx descend down to their level.

The one most surprised was none other than Ludo. "You?! You're... you're the enemy of that Yoren prince!" He exclaimed, surprised that he would be helping them.

"The name's Lynx, if you're wondering." The Plurixian mage stated. "We both have enemies who are close to each other. Thus, your friend right there approached to make some sort of deal in taking care of our common foes. I was able to find a way to take advantage of our enemies in a way they'll never know what hit them. We can even possibly win against them."

"And get the wand?" Ludo asked, hopeful. The elder mage gave a small chuckle.

"And get the wand." He said. He looked back up to the monsters.

"Alright everyone, listen up! The enactment of this plan will begin tonight with me. All of you will play a part in it tomorrow. Are you all ready and willing?" They all roared their approval.

Lynx held a small smirk on his face. _'And soon, I'll finally be able to get your powers too.'_

* * *

"Bye Marco! Bye Mr. and Mrs. Diaz! See you guys in a week!" Star waved at the departing vehicle containing the three. From the back window, Marco waved back. Marco and his parents were leaving for a family reunion, and Star opted to stay instead. She entered back into the house, wide grin on her face. She laid down on the couch, sighing and frowning. _'Wow... who would've thought I'd already feel so bored and lonely here? It's only been about five minutes!'_ She sat up, thinking about what to do. She snapped her fingers, a perfect thought surfacing.

"I wonder what those two besties are up to..." She said to herself, jumping out of the couch and walking out of the house, making sure to lock the door in the meantime. She has a key anyway. She headed to Jackie's house, humming a tune. When she arrived outside the house, the two were just arriving as well.

"And then she just stood there, cute innocent look and all, staring at us like, 'did I do anything wrong?'" Levi said, mimicking his sister's voice at the end. Both laughed hard after. Jackie had her hand on his shoulder as they struggled to catch their breaths as they walked back home.

"Oh my god, your sister... I'm sure glad I'm not on her bad side." Jackie said, now clutching her sides as to not tumble over and roll in laughter.

"Heh, yeah, or else she'll give you one the worst imaginable." He joked. They both then saw Star, sitting on the pavement outside the door. They walked up a bit faster.

"Hey, Star." Levi called out. She turned to look up at them. She stood up.

"Hey there, you two. Whatcha guys talkin' about?" She asked.

"Levi here shared a story about how Yelena pranked everyone in the castle, including him and his parents." Jackie told her.

Star's eyes grew wide in fascination. "Your sister? As in sweet little Yelena?! But she's so young!" Her eyes softened as she thought about it. "And yet... so good, and so innocent you wouldn't have even suspected her!" She took Levi by the collar and pulled him closer to her, eyes wide again. He was surprised by the sudden pull, and looked back at her eyes wide. "You've got to tell me how she did it! All of it! I'm already just getting bored here!" She said in adoration. His eyes softened and he laughed in response.

"Sure thing, Star. C'mon, let's get inside before this rain begins to fall on us." He walked inside, the two girls following him in.

And so followed a tale about how Yelena was able to mislead all of them into a wild goose chase while she set up all the traps for each member of the castle, including her own family.

At the end of it all, they were covered in a lot of different kinds of powder and water. And she stood there like what Levi said earlier.

"Are you serious?!" The princess asked, laughing and tumbling. "Powder, water, intricate traps, and a wild goose chase?! Your sister's ingenious!" Levi sheepishly smiled.

"Yeah. Didn't think she'd prank us that hard. I guess she did it to just lighten up everything, you know."

"Whaddya mean?" She asked.

"It was about a few months since he died. I was now eight. She was now five. Even at that age she was a smart one. She wasn't too happy that even after for a long time, it didn't feel like it was back to it's old self. Everything. So she changed that."

He gave a smile that hid the bitter loneliness he felt in the past that he tried so hard to finally shed and only open up to towards those whom he truly trusted. Only it would've been hidden had they not known, but not that he cared anyway. "Needless to say, it worked, along with a small, but effective, speech she gave about us and our brother. But I still think about it every now and then. About what would've happened."

He then felt a hand on his shoulder, looked up, and saw his best friend looking at him.

"Your sister did something to change everything surrounding you and your family. She knew you guys just couldn't be like this so much anymore. She wanted you to be happy again. I felt this way too, when I felt my parents abandoned me. We got back to our normal selves thanks to those who were our closest ones. You with your sister, and me with Janna."

Jackie, though ultimately never not knowing the feeling of having to experience what her best friend did, still understood what it felt to lose someone who was so close to you in the family. She knew how it went. Both denied the loss at first. Then they grew angered, blaming themselves for what had happened that they felt was their fault. The sorrow came in, the crying days, the nightmares that plagued them. Though in the end, both were eventually pulled out of the slump that they were in by people who were probably just as close as they were to them with the people they lost.

He shed a few tears as he fought them back, closing his eyes so as to not let himself cry even more. "Yeah, I realized that. But... it still doesn't change the fact that he's gone. Gone for good. He's not coming back. These memories were too much for me to overcome sometimes. But I'll always make sure to live for him. He would be so proud of me right now. I miss you... so much..." He looked down, the tears dripping. He felt an arm envelop him on each side. He smiled. "Thanks, you two." He embraced the girls, who eagerly held him closer. They both wanted to share some of their comfort and ease his pain of having to relive the memories.

While Star hasn't felt loss of this magnitude, she understood how people would react to these situations. Despite her spontaneous nature, she's observant and quick to consider the feelings of her friends and be understanding when they face certain situations. She calms her friends and herself down and helps ease the hurtful notions brought about by these situations. With her Plurixian best friend, whom he first (and only so far) opened up to about it, she listened, comforted him, and bonded with him, sharing some of her more memorable and humorous stories to cheer him up. She always wanted to see her friends happy, and Levi was one she wanted to see that fulfilled the most. Now she aims to be there by his side, as someone akin to a sister.

"Alright then, so Star, what brings you here?" He asked as the trio pulled away, but still were close by each other.

"Well, Marco and his parents are away on a family reunion." She explained.

"And you decided to stay?" Jackie asked, slightly surprised. Knowing how close those two best friends were, she'd think Marco would love to have her meet the rest of his family.

"Yeah. It was my decision anyway, even though he would've loved for me to go with him. I just... I dunno, really, wanted to see how it's like for me to be without my best friend for a while. I didn't think it would be _that_ boring already, though... but forget that. I figured to just come and see you guys."

"Aww, how nice of you." Levi said, smiling brightly. It wasn't too common nowadays for Star and Levi to be together since arriving on Earth, so for her to do this on her own made the Plurixian prince feel a little bit happier. "Oh, I've got an idea! It's been a while since we've done this, Star, but why don't we have a sleepover for a change, just the three of us? You can stay with us for the day since we don't have plans to go out today after earlier."

Star's eyes grew wide. "Oh! Oh! Oh! You're right! We haven't had one in a long time now! And even better, Jackie's with us!" Star beamed.

"That sounds cool. I'm up for it." Jackie said. Star jumped for joy.

"Awesome! I'll just get some things back home, and I'll be back before you know it!" Star quickly left, leaving the two to themselves.

"Sad Janna won't be here to enjoy it." Levi said.

"Then we can just do another one soon. We'll invite some of our other friends too." Jackie said.

Both shared a nod and smile. And just as Star said, she appeared right back in their house, jumping through a portal that appeared before them.

With a wide smile on her face, along with a huge backpack, Star asked them, "What should we do first?"

* * *

Several hours later...

"Today was great." That was all Star could say as she set herself up for bed. The other two were doing so as well. All of them were in Jackie's room, in their night clothes, and were about to lie down.

"Yeah. You never told me you were good at video games! Like, for someone whom we only saw play video games today, you're so good!" Jackie said, astonished earlier. In the various video games the trio played, Star narrowly almost beat the two in most of them, after just a bit of practice.

"Oh, well, Marco had a hand in that. So really, thank him." Star said, blushing a bit at the small but meaningful praise.

"Well, next time, we'll invite him too." Levi said, glimmering with happiness with how today went out. He looked at the clock. It was past midnight. The three lied down on their sleeping bags, all nestled next to each other in a little triangle, with Star in the middle.

"Well, goodnight Levi. Goodnight Jackie." Star said, giving out a kiss to each of her friends' cheeks. She blushed as she returned to her spot. Both of them widened their eyes in surprise, but they softened up. The two looked at each other and gave a smile that the Mewnian saw on both, wondering what they thought about her abrupt action, something she didn't actually thought so consciously.

"Sorry about that. I don't know what came over me and I hope you don't take offense to that and-"

She was cut off with both teens kissing her cheeks. She hotly blushed and widened her eyes.

Jackie giggled and Levi chuckled a bit. "Goodnight Star." They happily said in unison. Both went to sleep.

Star meanwhile couldn't breathe for a few good seconds, trying to wrap her head around what the two just did to her. Finally, she just had a huge smile and placed an arm each around her two friends, nestling them closer to her. She closed her eyes and drifted off to slumber.

The entirety of Echo Creek was quiet. Meanwhile, just a few blocks off of their house, Lynx lied in wait, his new magic weapon in his robes.

' _This should work. Let's see who's finally turning the tables now, after so many times in which I've failed.'_ He thought. He stood up and began to make his way towards it. Arriving there, he levitated and searched around the house, looking through the windows, finding where the duo are. Once he found where they are, his face morphed into a look of surprise.

' _Star's with them? This saves me the time of having to go find her house. This is the easiest time I've ever had dealing with these brats!'_ He gleefully thought.

He gently opened the window leading to the room, coming inside. The window then slammed itself shut. He widened his eyes and quickly looked towards the three teens.

' _Still sleeping. Good.'_

He let himself fall to the ground quietly, silently walking towards the sleeping trio. He gave a small smile seeing their positions.

"How cute. It's a shame I have to do this." He whispered to himself. He took out his magic weapon: a small rectangular glass box. He opened the box, and it glowed. Soon enough, the trio glowed as well. Star emanated a yellow aura, Jackie with a white aura, and Levi with a black aura. All three would lose those auras into the box, where it absorbed their magic (and in Star's case, including her wand). When it ended, the trio had no more aura to glow.

He evilly grinned. _'Perfect. See you tomorrow, you three.'_

He quietly left their house, ready for tomorrow.

The next day, all three woke up, happy and smiling.

"Morning guys!" Star cheered.

"Morning, Star." Both greeted back.

They soon went and prepared for breakfast and their morning routines. Mostly, all three had their own contributions to cooking, except when Star sometimes burned her cooking, but the two would assist her in cooking, taking their time, always supportive with each other despite the mistakes they made. Soon enough, the trio were enjoying breakfast.

Star's phone rang. She answered it. "Helloooo? Oh, Marco! How's it going there in Mexico? Oh! Glad you're doing great there! Oh, I'm just here with Jackie and Levi. You were right, those video games really helped. Yeah, yeah, I know you'd go 'I told you so.' But thanks, Marco. Alright, stay safe there, okay? And tell your parents I said hi! Bye Marco!"

When she hung up, she looked back at the two, who promptly stopped eating. She quizzically looked at the two, asking, "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Both denied. She continued to stare at them, but eventually gave up and shrugged. All three finished up, and it was left to Levi to wash the dishes. Once that was done, they went and took separate baths and changed into their normal attire.

The day passed by pretty quickly without much happening. They didn't bother to go out earlier, so they all just went and relaxed after last night and what had happened a few days ago.

Now, all three were lounging in the living room, at about past-five. Jackie was reading a book, Levi was staring up to the ceiling, and Star was surfing through television channels. They heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Star said, quickly heading over to the door and opening it.

"Helloooooooohhhhhh no." Her expression turned from slight joy to pure shock when she saw all of Ludo's army outside the door. She quickly took out her wand, pointed towards them and shouted, "NARWHAL BLAST!"

The wand didn't glow. Her face was now of pure abject horror when she realized her wand won't work. Eventually the other two went over to the door.

"Star, what's up—" Jackie said before looking out to see the monsters out the door. "Oh crap."

"Not a problem." Levi confidently said. "Just a bit of energy and we'll... take them out... in no... time?" He tried his best to summon up his dark energies to create a weapon to no avail. Jackie tried to activate her bracelet, but just like the two, nothing happened.

"Get them!" One of the monsters said, and all of them obliged, yelling and charging inside.

"RUN!" Star instructed. The trio jumped, slid, swerved, and dashed through the front door, getting past all of the monsters and out of the house and into the streets. Thus began a long chase where they just kept trying to see if their powers return, only to fail, until they finally escaped.

* * *

In the present, all three were out of breath as they lied down on the ground after jumping through the portal. They were now in another dimension, somewhere none of the three knew, except that the field looked almost deserted, save for an abandoned building nearby.

"Where are we?" Star asked. All three stood up once they were all fully rested.

"I don't know. I just know we had to go to a place where they won't be able to find us." Levi explained.

"Oh, you're not doing anything once I'm done with you."

Levi knew who that voice belonged to. He turned to the source with bitterness in his voice as he spoke. "Lynx. You're in on this too? I thought you'd be the type of guy who'd go alone."

The Plurixian mage in question chuckled. "Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm tired of never being able to taste my victory against you and obtaining your powers. Toffee and I reached an agreement, and we'll both get what we want. I have your powers, and he will finally do what he wants with Princess Butterfly's magic wand." He said.

"You're never gonna win! We're gonna make damn sure of that!" Jackie retorted, extremely defiant, her hand holding Levi's.

He only gave her a look that could easily translate as, "Oh really?" He chuckled again. "I'd love to see you try, dear Jackie. But just remember that none of you have your powers with you." He reminded them.

Jackie gritted her teeth and jumped up at him to land a blow. He merely stopped her in her tracks with a concussive magic blast that all but knocked her unconscious. Smoke emanated from her limp body.

"JACKIE!" Both Star and Levi yelled. They both looked _really_ pissed now.

"Oh, shut it, you two. I'm not gonna kill her, nor will I kill either of you." He said. "I'm just gonna knock down a peg or two from you. Though if you wanna fight, no worries." He mocked them.

Both yelled and charged forth together to fight. Lynx conjured three clones of himself. Two went to send a punch to Star's gut, knocking her down, while the other clone and the real Lynx went and circled him.

"Is this how it goes, then?" He asked. Lynx smirked.

"I guess you can say that, but look at your dear Princess, kid." He instructed. Levi had a look of confusion before turning to look at Star.

The two clones were using their magic to direct their attacks towards Star, who could do nothing but raise her arms to defend herself.

"STAR!" The prince cried out.

"Give her more pain." Lynx instructed with a small grin. The clones did as instructed, increasing the intensity of the blasts and magic rays directed towards her. Unbeknownst to Levi, the mage created two more clones and directed them towards Jackie. One of them held her up, while the other prepared to use the same magic attacks.

This was agonizing for Levi to watch. He couldn't be able to even do something to stop their brutal attack as he didn't even have his energies to do so. And even if he could fight, how could he when he's up against magic? He could only look on in horror as he heard her scream.

"That's not exactly enough suffering, dear Prince. The question is, who would you save? Your best friend? Or your girlfriend?" He asked him.

"She's not... she's not... I'm not..." He said as he turned. He could only look in abject horror as the same was being done to Jackie. And then he heard her scream. His mind could only try to pick up the pieces as he watched his two closest friends be tortured so much.

For the first time since that day, Levi felt utterly and truly defenseless. He fell to his knees, tears welling up in his eyes. It was all becoming too overwhelming for him to take. He looked up to the mage who had nearly destroyed him then and there. "W-why? Why would you do this? Was it... was it worth it?" He asked, voice broken.

Lynx rendered the two girls unconscious with a sleep spell and dispelled the clones. The question itself made him hesitate. He walked up to the shattered prince, still thinking about how to answer, ultimately coming to an unsure conclusion.

"I... honestly don't know." He answered. He put him to sleep as well. He gathered the other two and laid them down beside him. He used his healing magic to alleviate the wounds and pain he inflicted on the two girls. He couldn't bear to look at them after realizing what he had done. He looked at his hands, and even he couldn't bear to look at those either. He settled to just close his eyes.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way."

He levitated the unconscious trio. He cut open a portal back to Earth, where Ludo, Toffee, and the other monsters were waiting for him.

When Toffee saw the three, he gave a smirk. "I take it you did as well as you could?" He asked.

"I had to use some... unorthodox methods." He answered back.

"That matters not. Let's get going." He motioned to Ludo, who nodded and went to cut open a portal back to his lair. His glee was unmatched among anyone there, as he had finally felt like he accomplished something. Plus, he's finally gonna get the wand!

As they left, someone took note of what happened. He looked down and sighed in sadness.

"I should've done something..." He muttered to himself. He disappeared once more.

* * *

 **AN: I think at this point it's safe to say that you should be really patient and expect a chapter monthly/bi-monthly. Anyways, we're nearing closer and closer to the end of this fanfic's first season. Once I'm done with all of it I'm gonna do a rechecking and editing of the chapters to smooth them out.**

 **Poor Levi. He just wasn't able to do anything to save them. Also, poor Jackie and Star too. It all seemed to go just as planned for the three villains here. And when a plan goes off without a hitch, it could have devastating effects...**

 **This story has now reached 10k views! I'm so happy about this. Proud too. Love the support from some of the more dedicated readers here. Thanks to all of you guys.**

 **Don't forget leave a review below. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	25. Year 2 - Powerless, Part 2

**Powerless, Part 2  
Victory is at hand for the trio of villains. However, doubts may threaten to change that, along with an unexpected arrival.**

* * *

When the prince woke up, hours since their attack and abduction, he found himself tired, drained of energy, and chained to the wall, hanging about a third up from the floor. His exhausted eyes searched the room he was in and quickly realized that it was a dungeon. He then looked for his two companions. He found them facing each other on opposite sides of the room, also bound in chains to the wall. They were also unconscious, but unlike what he saw of the two earlier, they otherwise looked alright, at least compared to what he observed of the two when they were ambushed.

Still, the memory of the pain inflicted on them mere hours ago was so fresh in his mind. Their bodies in so much pain and agony, the magic attacks they endured, and their screams, gods, their screams were what he remembered the most. The screams of excruciating torment, their calls for help in the midst of the brutal torture they suffered, their fading voices as they drifted in and out of consciousness, he remembered all of that in full detail. And he couldn't do a damn thing about it. He felt so weak, so crippled, so... powerless without his abilities. He could still hear them in his mind. He knew it would haunt him for a long time.

He wept, if only a little bit, as it still wasn't enough from earlier. "I... couldn't save them. I couldn't... do anything. Why? Why am I so weak?" He pitifully asked himself. He heard moans on his left. He turned there, and saw Jackie struggling to get herself comfortable.

"No... don't... think of yourself... like that. It's... not your fault." She said, slowly waking up, despite the tenuous exhaustion. While Lynx did heal the two magical girls of the wounds and pain he himself inflicted, it did nothing to restore their energy.

"Jackie!" He exclaimed. "Are you okay?" He heard her light breaths and pants.

"Just... give me a moment to..." She replied as she composed her breaths, making sure she won't be too exhausted like earlier.

"You two alright?" Star woke up as well. She was in a coughing fit, her voice slightly off.

"'You two alright?' Are you?!" Levi asked.

Star merely chuckled and sighed, paying no mind to his concern. To be honest, she was slightly delirious after what happened to her. The feeling will quickly wear off, however, as she continues to recover. "We were really outmatched. We didn't have our magic, we were ambushed, and now we're here, bound and imprisoned. They outdid us. They really outdid us. It's like they had a perfect plan for us this time." She said, really hammering home the situation they were currently in.

Jackie frowned. "Yeah. How did we even lose our magic in the first place?" The blond-haired pseudo-Plurixian asked aloud. The question would be left unanswered as the door opened, and Levi bitterly looked down once he saw the figure in question.

"Are you happy with what you've done now? You seemed to have taken pleasure in torturing two of my closest friends. I don't even have my powers now, so it's pointless."

"Like that matters. We won!" Ludo appeared from behind the mage and cheered.

Star's eyes immediately narrowed. "Ludo." She spat.

"Aww, is something wrong, princess?" He mockingly asked.

The princess gritted her teeth, clearly angered. "You let me out of this and I'll show you exactly what's wrong you little-"

"Watch your tongue, Princess Butterfly." Lynx instructed, only causing her to give him a sharp look. Ludo meanwhile continued to mock them, especially Star.

"A shame Karate Boy wasn't here. I wonder how he would've fared, hm? He'd probably be screaming for your name as he gets beat up!" He said and laughed.

If Star wasn't angry now, she was definitely pissed off. She would've went and tried to crush her arch-nemesis of a monster, if not for the chains that bound her to the wall. "LET ME AT HIM! I SWEAR I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU REGRET EVERYTHING BADMOUTHING MARCO!"

"Star!" Levi called out. She turned to him and he shook his head. Her look softened and she looked down, unable to look at anyone. "If you're gonna go try and get him, you're out of luck."

Ludo shrugged. "Not like we were going to, anyway. I did that just to rile you up." He walked away, leaving the three together with the other Plurixian.

"What are you going to do now? We're locked down here, in a place where we have virtually zero chance of escaping, without our powers. You've basically won! What else will you do?" Levi said.

"That's for Toffee to decide." With that, he walked away.

Levi, however, was not done.

"Is that it? A few more losses and it comes to this? The real arch-nemesis I know would never stoop so low to this. You always said you'll do this on your own, that you'll find a way to get my powers alone, and now you backed out of that statement? The real Lynx would always find a way to get his goals done. He's always a lone wolf, and he'd do it his way. He would never stoop so low as to follow someone else's orders!" He defiantly claimed.

In the next moment, he was roughly pressed to the wall, his neck being pressed against the mage's right arm. They were looking at each other right in the eyes, one's eyes representing anger, the other representing both defiance and pain. Both girls' eyes widened and called for his name in concern.

"You don't get to say those kinds of stuff about me. You have no _right_. We may have been fighting for a long time, but you don't know the real me. My reasons, my motivations, everything? You don't know any of that. So don't say as though you really know me _because you don't_." He angrily stated, releasing his hold on him, and walking away again.

Levi panted and coughed, being able to breathe again. And yet he still wasn't done. "Then do you even know yourself? You're always confused, hesitant, even. You may not say that yourself, but I see you. And do you want to know what I see?" He paused.

"I see a person of doubt."

Lynx paused. He then continued to walk away, closing the door.

In truth, the words he said had an effect on him. It had been so long since he asked himself that question, that if he knew who he truly was. He had that self-doubt in himself, and he thought he had hidden that now. Apparently, it was obvious, too obvious, to his arch-nemesis. He felt he overreacted because who had that right to say that he knew him? Who else really knew him? Levi never bothered to wonder why he was trying to get his powers. However, that question made him ask himself again: Did he even know why he was doing it, or if he even knew himself? He thought he did, but he realized that he never did, following on the blind motions. All the doubt and thoughts began to rattle in his head.

' _Gods, I need to see her. Maybe she can help.'_ He took out his scissors.

"Going somewhere?" Toffee appeared, interrupting his thoughts.

"Um... yeah. I just need to clear my head. This just seems so... overwhelming. I didn't think that our plan worked." Of course, the explanation was merely a front for Toffee to believe that so that he can leave. And he did.

"Understood. I know how a first victory feels like. Especially when it's against your very nemesis. Just return in about five hours."

He nodded. "Understood. I'll make sure to be back in time."

* * *

"Katie?" He stood outside the door to her flat, knocking on it, hoping she'd be there. He waited for a few seconds, then it opened, revealing the human woman, slightly disheveled, but otherwise fine.

"Oh, hey there Nick. What brings you here? And why so late too?" She yawned. He was slightly surprised at her appearance, and thought he may have interrupted something, or probably woken her up.

"Um... hey. Is this a bad time? Did I interrupt anything?" He asked, a bit nervous. She perked up at that, realizing why he asked her that.

"Oh! No, no, no, it's okay. I didn't expect you, yeah, but I don't really mind. Something wrong?" She said as she fixed herself up.

He contemplated whether he should lie (make something up as an excuse to visit her) or tell the truth to her (admit what's been bothering him).

He opted for the latter.

"Can we talk? There's a lot of things going on in my mind."

"Oh, sure, sure! I'm here to listen. Come in."

Since the first time the two met, Lynx has visited her from time to time, often to spend time with her, and sometimes to comfort her. She still felt suicidal, giving into some of her tendencies, despite that she said she'd never do that kind of stuff again. Heck, a few times he arrived into her place, she was either in a crying fit, a bloody mess, or about to jump from the railing like their first meeting, and he'd always stop her from doing the act. He'd hug her, say comforting words, (in the case of her being in a bloody mess) clean her up, and just stick by her. Despite those tendencies, she has been recovering thanks to him, and he helped find her friends to spend time with. He felt something for her... and he was afraid. Afraid that she might find out who he really was. Afraid of her finding out what he's done in the past. Afraid of how she would react if she ever did. Afraid that she would leave him.

He decided to tell her everything about him, but not at this time. Right now, he wanted to just confide in her about his self-doubt.

With a small smile and a 'thank you', he walked in and sat on the couch.

"Now, what's wrong with my dear Nick? Something got you down?" She wondered aloud, sitting next to him, smiling. She can still keep a cheery attitude, despite the true feelings that hide beneath it. Right now, all she wanted to do was help her closest friend. After all, he helped her tons of times, so this is one of the few times she can return the favor.

He looked down, then towards her, then back down, and then finally back at her. "I... I feel like I don't know myself. Who I am, why I'm here, why I do what I do. I'm so confused about myself. I'm asking for your help because you're honestly the first person I know who I've opened up to sometimes and at least has a semblance of who I am and who I can be. Can you help me?"

"Of course, silly. You helped me get through a lot, so now it's my turn." She positioned herself so that she could fully face him. Then, she began to speak.

"We've only seen each other for months, right?" A nod. "So, yeah, I may be a little off, but this is what I feel. Do you know what I see? I see a person who never gives up. I see a person who, despite all the bad things that surround me and the actions that I do, was always able to keep me here, safe, feeling like I'm wanted. I see a person who always did his best to find a way to make me feel better, and if that didn't work, then he'd find another way, and in his own little way. I see a person who's finally shown me a life worth living. I saw someone who gave me everything he could, despite that we were practically strangers. That person had that take no shit attitude towards all those bad people who'd think I'm trash, even though I think I really am and that I'm not worth your-"

"Don't say that kind of stuff! You're not trash. You're an extremely wonderful person. You're someone I don't mind spending time with. You're worth it. Everything."

A few teardrops trailed from her cheeks. "You always seem to know what to say, don't you? You stupid idiot. Anyone who's been with me for a long time would've given up on me. _But you stayed_. You're a determined, compassionate, and strong person. I think that's what you are. You'll always find out who you can be. You don't let anything get in your way of doing what you feel is best. You're not a bad person." At the end of it, she gave him a hug.

' _If she knew now what I've done before... I can't let that shake my friendship with her with that now. I understand how much she means to me now. I don't want to break that. And that means...'_

He released the embrace, leaving her a bit saddened. "Is something else wrong, Nick?" She asked. He shook his head.

"No, it's nothing. Thanks, Katie." He stared out to the glass door overlooking New York City. He turned back to her, and then on his watch.

He still had four hours and thirty minutes.

She stared at him, eyes rapt in interest. Finally, he asked, "How about we go on a night out? Just you and me?"

"You mean... like a date?"

He blushed. "Well... kinda. But... not much... I guess?" He gave an awkward smile.

She smiled in return, but blushed as well. "I'm... I'm flattered. Of course I will!" She went to the bathroom. "Just let me get ready." She called out from there.

He simply smiled and let himself lay down on the couch. With her, he felt more at ease than the years he was alone combined. He still has yet to thank his enemy for (unknowingly) leading him to her. Minutes later, she was out of the bathroom, looking very much better.

"Well, I'm ready." She said.

"Then let's get going." He offered his hand, and she graciously accepted it. They soon left without another word, hoping to enjoy what celebrating a normal night is like in the Big Apple.

* * *

The trio of heroes fell asleep, still very exhausted, not to mention uncomfortable, after they were left alone for nearly four and a half hours now, and still were sound asleep.

There came the sound of a portal being cut open. The individual leaped down onto the ground. The person looked around, scanning the room. Once he fully saw everything around the room, he then went to unlock the chains on their wrists, beginning with Star, who was the first to recover.

"Who... what..." She said, still half-asleep as she looked around, dazed. Her eyes then focused on the individual who was freeing her. Her eyes were still blurry.

"Hey there, Starship. You okay?" He asked. Star's expression changed from dazed to shocked. Her ears perked up when she heard the familiar nickname, and her eyes were able to see who the person really was.

"Tom?!" She half-whispered, still shocked.

"Yeah, me." He said, chuckling.

"I heard Tom. Is that you, bud?" Levi had then also recovered, waking up. Tom unshackled Star and went on ahead to freeing Jackie.

"Yup. It's me, old friend. And if you're wondering, I don't take offense to what you did to me back during the Ball. More or less my fault."

Jackie was then freed, and she crashed to the ground, but she recovered quickly, a hand onto her stomach. Tom approached to assist her.

"No, it's okay. I can do this." She insisted. "Go free Levi."

With no other choice but to comply, he went to remove the binds on his wrists.

"What are you doing here, Tom? Why'd you come to save us?" Star asked, a bit suspicious.

"Someone told me. He said he saw it all, and he asked for my help because he couldn't afford to risk himself. But if Marco was with you guys... I would've gladly refused."

"Don't tell me you're still not over what happened back then..." Star said, lamenting over the fact that it seemed her demon ex-boyfriend still couldn't move on.

"The legend is real, Star. You'll see that sooner or later." He only said.

Tom was able to unshackle Levi, and he landed to the floor, with the demon prince helping him stand up properly.

"You good?" Tom asked in concern.

Levi nodded. "Yeah, thanks, man."

The surprise was still evident on the trio's expressions. Of all people to possibly help them, they didn't expect _Tom_ to be able to know what happened to them, know where they are, and be even _willing_ to help them. They knew he was still sour from what happened in the Blood Moon Ball. He wouldn't have bothered with them. And yet here he was, helping them try to escape, and providing them a glimmer of hope.

With all three freed, Tom proceeded to make a portal.

"C'mon, let's go." He said, and one by one they jumped through...

Only for them to return to the dungeon through another portal.

"Well that didn't work. Let's try again." So they did... with the same result.

"Damn. This place must have something that keeps our scissors from working." Tom looked at the scissors and then returned them to his pocket. He turned to the trio.

"Looks like we'll have to escape the old fashioned way. Just get behind me, and keep quiet. You three don't have your powers, so all we can do is just try to get out of here." Tom instructed. The three nodded, and they escaped the dungeon they were being held in. Surprisingly, there wasn't anyone there to keep a lookout over the prison. They sneaked over at the corridors, where one of the monsters was walking around. Tom instructed them to stop, and he silently levitated with his fire powers, sticking his feet onto the ceiling to observe the monster. Once it was safe to move, he gestured them to do so.

They ran as quietly as they could, able to bypass the monster undetected. Tom latched down from the ceiling to their position, and they continued to move. All the while, Tom wondered if it was worth saving them even when Marco wasn't with them.

' _What am I thinking, of course it is!'_ He quickly shook that negativity away, focusing instead on getting them out of the castle.

* * *

Back in New York, about thirty minutes prior, Nick and Katie were walking along the boardwalk.

"What'd you think of this little 'date' we had?" Nick asked.

"It was fun! I have to admit, this is the first time I've experienced the night awake and out here." Katie answered. He smiled.

"Well I'm glad you had a really great time."

"Of course! All thanks to you, really."

He raised an eyebrow at that and shook his head. "What? No, you were the one who picked where we go. I just went along with you."

"But you were the one who convinced me to go out."

"It's because I wanted this night to be about you too, you know. I wanted to do something in return. You're special to me. You mean something. No... you mean a lot."

She blushed and looked the other way. "You didn't have to." He stopped walking. So did she, still looking away from him. He slightly frowned and placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on her chin. He gently turned her to face him. Her face was red, and her eyes were closed.

"Katie. Come on. Please, look at me." He softly said. She opened her eyes to see his intense but compassionate gaze. "I did it because I wanted to."

He sighed and just tightly held her. "No more words. I just want to experience this." She obliged, returning the embrace, arms around his neck. The sun was rising now.

He knew what has to be done when he comes back. But he has to decide whether he should.

Eventually the two returned to Katie's place.

"Do you have to go? Can't you stay for a little longer?" She asked, leaning on his chest.

"I'm sorry, Katie. I really have to leave now. But I'll make sure to come see you again real soon. I promise." He gave a kiss on the top of her head.

"Okay. You promised, so you better make sure." She pulled away from him and walked inside, her hand on the doorknob.

They said their goodbyes, and the human closed the door. He turned away and went through the portal back to Ludo's castle.

As the door closed, Katie stood motionless for a few seconds, then turned back and leaned onto the door, her face covered with her hands as she cried. It was this night that she realized how much she loved him, and she never mustered the courage to confess to him. With how the guy's done so much for her one could assume the two were in a long relationship, but never went past that stage yet, mostly due to her fears and her tendencies. She was afraid to hurt him because of what she's always done. Yet he's always been there. He stopped her time and time again from making a decision she'd regret. She doesn't know why he was even doing it, thinking she was hopeless. And yet he gave her hope. He became the best thing that's ever happened to her life. She has new friends now, she's slowly becoming more lively at her work, and getting out of that despairing rut she's trapped in, being replaced by the love she feels for him.

She wiped away the tears. She steeled herself. She stood up and went to the balcony, watching the day begin to unfold in the city, the sun rising.

She will tell him her feelings for him, soon enough. And she's determined to never let him go, because she knew he wouldn't either.

* * *

"Damn it, we've been spotted!" Tom said, aghast. The others realized it too. But not by the monsters.

They were spotted by some agents of The Order of Darkness and Fury, who were here for some reason.

"Are those..." One of them trailed.

"It's them! Quickly!"

All four quickly picked up the pace and ran as fast as they could, and both sides drew the attention of the monsters, Ludo included.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING STANDING THERE FOR! GET THEM!" Ludo instructed, getting on the back of one of the monsters and leading them on, running after the quadruplet.

"Split up!" Star suggested.

Levi vehemently shook his head. "No, we can't! There's a higher possibility we'll be caught if we do!"

"Well what do you suggest we do?! We can't outrun them forever!"

Tom stopped running. "I'll hold them off! I'll buy us enough time for you guys to escape!"

"Tom you can't! You'll risk yourself!" Star pleaded.

"Star's right! Come with us! We can get out of here together!" Jackie offered.

He suddenly created a blazing wall of fire. He pushed all three of them through it.

Surprisingly, they were unharmed. They looked at each other, then at the wall.

"TOM!" They yelled out.

"GO!" He yelled back. On the other side, he was using his fire powers to hold off both the monsters and the agents, his eyes having that same glow from the Ball. "I'll be fine! Now go!" His voice now had the demonic tone to it, and they realized he really was going all-out.

They ran off without hesitation after.

However, they were halted by the appearance of a portal, and Lynx came out. He looked up to see the three, eyes wide.

"Look, I know how you feel against me right now-" Levi reacted first and punched his face. He recoiled back.

"Wait-" He said, only to be interrupted by another punch, this time towards his gut, courtesy of Jackie.

"You bastard!" Both of them said. Both kicked him at his shins, dropping him to the ground.

"I'm not here to fight!" He mustered out before Levi could send another punch, his fist just mere inches before his face.

Levi steely gazed at him, and Jackie held her own. Star only stood there, nervous.

"Talk. Now." Levi only commanded. Lynx staggered as he stood up, still feeling the punches and kicks on his body.

"Gods, have you two gotten stronger? I haven't had punches like those in a long time!" He asked.

"Maybe. But that doesn't matter right now. You better explain to us what you're really wanting to do in a minute or else we'll kick your ass again." Jackie said, arms crossed, hardened look on her face evident.

"Alright, alright. The reason why you don't have your powers is because they're absorbed into a magical object that does exactly just that."

"And you have it?" All three asked, interested.

Inside, he was still debating on whether he should tell the truth or keep those powers.

"No, I don't. Sorry."

Levi shrugged. "Okay, then I guess there's no excuse for me to kick your ass again."

"Other than this, dear prince?"

The three turned around to see Tom, only barely awake. Toffee was right there with him, kicking his downed form towards them. Behind him, the rest of the monsters, Ludo included, were unconscious.

"Tom!" Star quickly went and tended to him.

Tom lightly touched the side of her face, a small smile written on his features. "Sorry, Starship. I tried my best." His hand falls, and he falls unconscious. She gasped and looked up to the lizard monster.

"What did you do to him?" The princess angrily asked, wand at the ready, despite being devoid of magic.

"Oh, simple. While he may have been able to hold off everyone else, I just kept moving away from his attacks until he tired himself out. Even the most powerful of demons in the underworld have their flaws and limits." Toffee explained. "And haven't you learned your lesson, child? You're drained of all magic. You're nothing now."

"That doesn't mean I can't do something to fix this." She said in defiance.

Toffee smirked. "If you insist. Lynx." He called out. The Plurixian in question looked at him.

"Would you please take care of them?"

Some of the members of the Order were still pursuing them, and they eventually reached them.

They all looked at them in surprise, but the one they focused the most on is Toffee. "That's the 'Lizard.' We're gonna have to retreat and tell boss about this." One of them, actually the leader of this group, ordered. The others nodded.

"We got your back, cap. Let's go!" Soon enough, everyone did retreat. However, Toffee grabbed one of them.

"Tell your boss to never meddle in affairs they shouldn't get themselves involved in." He instructed, cold venom coursing through his voice. He fearfully nodded, and the lizard monster released him. He ran away as quickly as he could, catching up with the others.

With that little interference done, he turned to the others, his gaze focused on Lynx. "Well? Is there something wrong?"

Lynx was battling with himself. He pondered about the actions he had done to just fulfill this moment. He wanted to finally get those powers. But at the same time he considered the words of both his nemesis and his closest friend. They were right that if he wanted something done, he'd do it with his own ways and his own terms. And yet at the other side, there it was, the chance to finally settle this once and for all. But... he'd be risking everything about himself that he feels he currently knows to be destroyed. Best of all, he considered what Katie would say to him. He valued her so much that the choice made it all the tougher to do. It was a heated internal debate, but he finally came to a decision. He took out the glass box that held the trio's powers.

"The only thing that's wrong is my decision to accept the partnership we had. I do things on my own, and my way."

He shattered the glass box, the contents spreading out. Soon enough the powers they lost were finally being absorbed back to their respective bodies. They all glowed a certain aura that reflected their powers. Levi could only sum up what the three of them were feeling with this:

"It feels good to have these back."

Star's wand glowed, Jackie's bracelet lit up, and Levi's darkness powers manifested in his hands.

Toffee merely shrugged, hiding the slight surprise he had. "Hm. So it seems that's that. Rest assured, Lynx, that we will _never_ collaborate again." He turned and walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

The three turned to thank Lynx, but he was gone, along with the shattered remains of the glass box.

Star quickly remembered about Tom and went to energize him with her magic. She and Levi helped him up, and the four of them walked out of the castle.

"Thanks, Tom. You did your best. Wow, I didn't think I'd say that." Star said.

Tom sighed. "Be as it may... I still hate Marco. Just... I'm going." He pushed away the two and created a portal.

"I'm still gonna get my revenge on him." Those were his last words as he disappeared into the underworld.

The three just looked at each other and gave a sad expression. They would then leave the castle and return to Jackie's house, where they saw that the sun had risen. Levi looked at his watch.

' _A quarter past six. That was quite a night.'_

"Let's just hope the best for Tom." Jackie said, trying her best to comfort the two, knowing that those two had known about Tom a lot, with Star having a relationship with him before. She hugged the two before leading them back to their house, where they properly went to get some sleep on their beds.

* * *

"Ahhh, the Lizard. I know that monster's a tough one, but he's right when he said we cannot interfere with him." The leader of the Order, still unseen in the darkness, spoke to the kneeling individuals who were involved in the mission they were given.

"You all successfully completed this mission. But for now, we'll have to lay low until the threat of Toffee ceases. That's when we strike." He darkly smirked.

"You're all dismissed. Do what you want." He waved them away, and they all stood and left.

* * *

Lynx returned to Katie's place, where he promptly shifted through the doors. He saw her soundly asleep on her bed, smiling. She must've been dreaming about something happy. He walked towards her and kissed her forehead. He then shifted back outside her door, and returned to his home, where he then went to sleep, the exhaustion just getting to him now. All the while he still kept a glass shard of the box. All the other pieces were destroyed by him, but left one to be untouched, keeping it in his pocket.

The week passed by without much that happened. Marco returned home with his parents from the week-long reunion, and the first thing Star did was to run up and hug him, and share what had happened in the past week, except for that day. She didn't want him to be so worried about her, after all.

Meanwhile, the two best friends continued their week as if the fateful day from before was nothing but a day. They had Janna invite over to play video games with them, and during that they suggested a sleepover with their closest friends at a much later date, and she couldn't be more overjoyed to accept. The two called Star and let her know that Janna accepted the invitation. The three agreed to keep when they'll do the sleepover a secret between them, and planned to invite some of their other closest friends soon.

Overlooking Jackie's house, the same figure from so many times before appeared. He cut open a dimension. Before he walked in, he said to himself, "Destiny is at hand. Are you ready to face it, Levi?"

When he walked through the portal, he arrived at his intended destination.

Ludo's castle.

* * *

 **AN: Lynx simply just doesn't know himself. He's this person who keeps asking himself why he was doing what he does, and yet complies anyway because that's the only thing he knows, despite that he's rather defiant in taking orders. He just doesn't know his true purpose, and this is all he can do. Poor guy, even though what he did prior was close to unforgivable. It was only during that New Year's Eve that he began to do more things other than just find a way to get Levi's powers each time he was defeated. In Katie, he explored more of the life outside of him, while still keeping that goal intact of getting Levi's powers. He's almost the point where he wonders if getting these powers would be even worth it. He hasn't fully gone into that yet, but as time passes, he will question that.**

 **So, almost there. Only about three (or possibly four) chapters remain before the finale of this one. It's gonna be at that point where some major stuff is gonna be revealed. Just have to wait a little longer.**

 **Thanks for reading, and leave a review! They are a true help to me, so please keep sending those out.**

 **Until then.**


	26. Year 2 - Storm The Castle, Part 1

**Storm the Castle, Part 1**  
 **Unbeknownst to Star as she goes to rescue Marco, Jackie and Levi go off on their own to save him as well. However, what the two will find out will leave themselves shaken to their core, changing everything they thought they knew.**

* * *

A few weeks ago...

Walking into a monster's castle seemed strange to him. Yes, his home had both monsters and his kind co-exist, but he himself had never went and visited a monster's home, let alone a castle, even. In all his years, he never bothered to really get along together with the monsters in his home dimension, but he respected them nonetheless. He wasn't some sort of rich bastard who felt everyone was beneath him. His parents taught him better than that.

He entered the castle without much problem, walking through the hallway. The monsters inhabiting there strangely looked at him as their attention diverted towards the newcomer.

"This one isn't certainly like that Lynx guy..." One of the monsters noted.

"Looks like a strong one, though..."

"Best not to bother him..."

Suddenly he stopped. He looked around, as if trying to look for someone. Then he spoke. "I would like to speak to Toffee."

All the monsters peered over to the other end of the hallway. Footsteps were heard. The familiar look of gray and tuxedo entered their vision as Toffee walked out the door of that end.

"I heard someone requested my presence. I am here now." Toffee said.

"That would be me, lizard." The newcomer said. Toffee's eyes focused on him, and he looked at the individual with surprise.

"You?" He raised an eyebrow. Before he spoke to him, he focused his gaze to the monsters present. "You're all dismissed. This is a private conversation. And I would like that no one intrudes or eavesdrop on us. Ludo at the moment is asleep." They followed his orders and they soon left the two alone, the doors closed. With everything in order, he turned back to the visitor before him. "Last I heard from you, you were able to deal a near-fatal hit to The Order, forcing them to go into hiding, only occasionally reappearing once in a while now. But that was years ago. Why are you here now?" He asked.

"Last I heard, you've been reduced to now follow the orders of an incompetent bird monster who's shit for leading. Plus, you need to ditch the suit. Or keep it if you want." He chuckled. Toffee groaned.

"You needn't remind me of that. This was a necessary action. I had to do what's necessary. I've already heard enough of that already, and I certainly don't need another in you." He explained.

"Oh, lighten up, you lizard." He paused, before speaking again. "I see you've taken an interest in Princess Butterfly now, who is currently living on Earth as we speak."

"Hmm, that I have, yes, ever since she inherited the wand from her mother. We've... already met, actually, about a week ago. In fact, The Order themselves interfered somewhat, and I told them to never meddle in affairs which they have no concern."

"I know. And I know you'll have another plan to once again get what you want. Or need." He gave a smirk. "I know he's going to be there."

"Ah, so that's why you came here. Of course. I can assure you you will get what you want as well, so long as you don't interfere with what I have in mind for Princess Star."

He laughed. "Are you kidding me, Toffee? We've worked together a few times in the past to know that enough. I understand that."

Toffee let out a snort. "Glad to see we're in the same page, then."

A portal opened up from behind the visitor. "I will return soon enough. Actually, when will it be?" He asked.

"I will simply notify you. I'll expect you in a few weeks."

"It has been a long time, hasn't it, Toffee?" He then exited through the portal.

A few seconds after the portal was gone, Toffee sighed. "Yes. It has been."

* * *

In the present, July 5, actually, the two were fast asleep, midnight time in the town. Almost a month had passed since they lost and gained back their powers, and things have been normal since. There was nary a sign of the Plurixian mage nemesis since then. He figured that he must've retreated to do something. Meanwhile, Star and Marco themselves have had a pretty normal months time since as well, save for that one time when Marco grew a beard... and it spread all over the Diaz household, and Star nearly lost her wand again, thanks to Ludo's monsters, but it all went well in the end anyway.

Back to the two, all of a sudden, Jackie's phone rang. She slowly opened her eyes and groggily reached towards her phone, grabbing it.

It took a bit for her eyes to clear up, but once they did, she got a good look at who called her. "...Star?" She groaned, accepting the call.

"Are you both asleep?" The princess asked from her side.

"This... this is a really bad time, Star. Plus, it's midnight. Isn't that a little too obvious?"

"Yes, yes I know that! I'm really sorry for waking you up, Jackie. But something's wrong."

"I hope it's not one of those kinds of mishaps again, Star, like when Marco grew a huge beard..."

"Marco's been kidnapped."

Jackie paused, the words sinking in. She eventually recovered. "I'm sorry, Star. Could you repeat that? I swear I thought I heard that Marco got kidnapped. No, wait, hold that I'm getting Levi."

As she said that, she walked out of her room and went to Levi's. She shook him awake. He groaned and saw her as he opened his eyes.

"Jackie? Wh...what's up? And..." He yawned. "Why so late?" He saw her concerned face. He immediately shook his head to clear himself.

"It's Star." She said. She turned back to the phone. "Alright, Star. Could you repeat that?"

"Marco... he's kidnapped. By Ludo's... or now Toffee's, I guess, monsters."

"Star... what happened?" He asked as Jackie put the phone on loudspeaker.

"Oh, Levi! You're awake too. Anyways, they left me a message, courtesy of one of the monsters. Said that if I wanted to see him alive and get him back, I needed to go alone...and bring the wand."

Both gasped. "You can't! It's a trap, and you know it!" Jackie exclaimed.

"I know, I know! But I have no choice. There's no other way. I began this mess. This was my fault, and now I have to be the one to fix this myself."

"Star, think this out. This couldn't be your fault. We'll come over." Levi stated.

Suddenly, Star shrieked. "NO! You guys can't! And... you're wrong about this. I'm to blame. Now I'm going to be the one to make sure everything's okay again. Don't try to follow me."

"No, wait, Star, hold on-" Both pleaded as Star cut them off, the phone leaving an audible ring, indicating she hung up.

On her end, Star solemnly looked at the phone. She gripped it and looked ahead of her, gaze hardened towards what laid before her. On her sights was Ludo's castle. With a brave heart and her powerful wand on hand, she headed there.

Levi sighed. "Damn it. We have to get there. At the very least, she needs some backup."

"Even though they said she has to go alone? Levi, what would they do if they find out that we came as well?" She asked. She wanted to help Star too, but she was concerned with what they would do to he, and possibly Marco, if they found out she broke that warning.

"Jackie, we've fought them before. The three of us, now that we have our powers again and in full strength, can be able to blaze through them. And we can also just tell them that she really did went alone, and that we wanted to go ourselves. Same objective, different reasons for pursuing that objective. It's not gonna be easy, I know, but we can be able to help her, I know it." He said, trying to convince her.

"Levi, I know you're concerned, Star being like a sister to you, but... think about it. You might risk both of them. We don't know what happens if we do this. We might put them in even more danger."

"Better than to do nothing." He retorted. Jackie turned away from him.

"Better than to risk hurting them even more if we do get involved?" She asked rhetorically, arms now crossed below her chest..

He exasperatedly lifted his arms and brought them back down. "Oh come on, Jackie. Don't... don't give me that. Hear me out, please."

"You're letting your concern for her get the best of you."

He unexpectedly embraced her from behind. "But you're letting your concern for them get the better of you as well." She blushed slightly, but still unwavering to his attempts to sway her opinion.

"I think I have to elaborate. You're concerned for them too, I know, but you're also concerned for us. You're worried about our well-being more. You're afraid what might happen to the two of us if we did intervene." He explained, hoping he was right.

A few moments of silence. Afterwards, she finally spoke. "I...I am. I'll be honest, I'm afraid for all of us. The four of us. I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't know what will the result be if we try. But I don't want that we failed to do anything to save them because I screwed up and that I may risk everything because I did something wrong and-"

"Shhh, shhh, shhh." He soothingly comforted her. "I know. I understand that. It's dangerous, I get that. And the stakes are higher because our lives are on the line. But we'll risk ourselves even more if we don't do anything. It's better to try. You said it yourself, that day. I was too weak to even do anything, but you convinced me it wasn't my fault. Now I'm doing the same. It's not gonna be anyone's fault."

Try as she might, she just couldn't help but be attracted to the way he just kept making her feel better. She calmed down. He stopped her from getting into hysterics. She knew she couldn't ever escape the inferiority she felt, but he was there to always keep her company.

"You're still so damn affectionate, you know." She said.

He lowly chuckled. "Don't try to change the subject." He then turned serious and concerned again. "Jackie, it's worse if we don't try. We may be doing a huge risk by doing either anyway, but the bigger risk is to do nothing. At least if we did try to help, we'll know if we did something that made it the better for them. And... when has anyone ever changed everything to benefit their side by doing nothing?"

She gave a small smile. "I guess I can't exactly argue with that." She forced him to release his arms.

"You say I'm 'so damn affectionate', but you sure as hell don't mind." He remarked, giving a casual smirk.

She shook her head, smirking as she did. "No. Not at all." She went to her room and quickly went back to his, the White Light Bracelet now on her arm. Levi nodded, taking his scissors.

"Right, then. Let's get going."

"Wait." She said, stopping him before he could cut open a portal.

"Hm?"

"What about your parents? You'll have to tell them."

He stood silent, looking down. He then looked back straight towards her.

"I know. At the end of this one, I will."

* * *

Toffee stood by the far end of the hallway. The time had come. Marco grumpily sat, leaning on one of the walls of the crystal prison that held him. They finished talking to each other about earlier.

"Notify him. Also, bring another monster with you in case." He told the fly monster. The monster gave an affirmation and soon left. Now all he had to do was wait. Almost about two minutes later he heard a portal open. He saw the two monsters return to their respective places.

"You came quickly." He noted.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, especially this. I'll be waiting outside." The figure said, before leaving.

"Don't attack the princess, if you could please. Let her through." Toffee called out to him.

He raised his hand up. "I ain't harming a girl, you know. That's below me."

All the while Marco looked at the newcomer in curiosity. He then saw him look at him. He felt a bit afraid, actually, when his gaze focused on him.

"Don't be too afraid." He only said to Marco, finally leaving afterwards.

He was then outside. A monster was there too. He sat on the other end, waiting. It was a rather awkward time, but he did not mind. He did not care. So long as he was able to meet him.

* * *

"I'm sorry." Ludo said. He was dragging some sort of heavy bag with him.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Because I will not accept it. Now leave." Buff Frog said, rejecting his words.

"I only want us to talk, Buff Frog."

"That is not even my real name!"

This surprised Ludo. "Really? Then... what is it then?" He asked, clearly confused and scratching his head.

"My name is Yvgeny Bulgolyubov."

"Foreign, I assume."

"Will you just get to the point of why you're here?!" He was getting really impatient with the incompetent former monster leader.

"I want us to be good friends again. And... for me to do that, I offer you this." He dragged the bag he was carrying towards him.

"What's inside?" He asked, wary.

"Why don't you look?"

"Not too interested. After what happened, I have no reason to trust you." He began to walk away.

"Come on, just this once! Plus, you left on your accord! And..." Ludo pleaded, but stopped. Buff Frog stopped.

"You were overthrown by Toffee. I knew you should not have trusted Toffee, but you did not listen."

"Yes, you were right! I should've listened, I know! I get it." Ludo exasperatedly said. He calmed down when he saw his former right-hand monster droop his shoulders. He just sat down on the ground, sighing.

"I've thought about it, you know. Out of all these monsters, you're the one I trust the most. I should've listened to your word. I regret that I didn't. And I regret that I let you leave that way. In a way, you're my best friend."

"Is that genuine?"

"Of course it is you bumbling frog! You think I'd be lying to you?!"

Buff Frog chuckled. Some things never would change with Ludo.

"Check the bag, if you would please. I really hope you'd love it." Ludo instructed.

The frog monster was confused. He was still wary of him, but he had to admit to himself that he was a bit curious as to what he brought him to get his friendship back. To that end, he proceeded to went to the bag and grab it, opening it to see tadpoles. He was surprised, and he turned up to look at the diminutive monster.

"Tadpoles?" He only asked. He gave a nod.

Before Buff Frog could thank him however, Star arrived, and she came blazing with magic blasts.

"Where's Marco?!" She asked, as the two frantically avoided the wand wielder's furious attacks.

"Marco? You mean Karate Boy?" Ludo asked as he shrieked as he nearly gets blasted, only part of his clothing charred off.

"No more laser beams, please! I have babies!" Buff Frog begged.

"And I have no idea where he is! Believe me!" Ludo said, hoping she would be swayed.

She stopped attacking them, but she wasn't convinced. "You're lying, Ludo. Why would you summon me to your castle if you didn't kidnap Marco?"

Buff Frog chimed in for him. "It's not his castle anymore."

He felt distraught upon hearing those words. "He's right. It belongs to Toffee now."

Star lowered her wand, eyes wide. "Toffee?! No way. That... that explains a lot, actually." She noticed Buff Frog happily playing with the tadpoles, quizzically looking at him.

"Where did they come from?" She asked.

"Ludo. He gave me these babies."

Star shrugged. "Alright, I'm done. I'm heading to the castle to get Marco back." She walked past them. Ludo followed.

"W-wait, Ludo!" Buff Frog caught up to them.

"What is it now?" He asked, turning back to him.

"I want to thank you. You... you gave me the gift of fatherhood."

Ludo, surprised, quickly turned away. He did not want to see him like this. "If you want to come with us, then you better pack up quickly." And so the frog monster did, catching up to them as he did before.

All three arrived when they see the mysterious person sitting just outside the castle steps. They were confused.

"Um..." Star trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You're here for Toffee, aren't you?" He asked.

Star just nodded. He just sighed.

"I hope you understand what you're doing, Princess Butterfly."

Star gasped. "How did you know-"

"Who you are?" He gave a smirk. "Trust me, Star. You'll find out soon enough. Now go. Toffee's waiting." Cautious of the man, the trio decided to just follow and proceeded to enter the castle without much difficulty. Once they were inside, the man outside looked ahead. He sighed.

' _Hurry up.'_

* * *

"Where are we?" Jackie asked as the two arrived in Mewni. Levi looked ahead. He cursed.

"We're... a ways off, but I see the castle. For some reason the scissors screwed up again." He explained. "We're gonna have to run. You up for it?"

She had a serious look now, really determined to save them if they can. "You know it."

They both began at a steady pace. Then they went faster. Then with the help of their powers, they upped their speed, leaving a blur of darkness and light on their path.

The stranger had his eyes closed after his thought, but then he quickly sensed the two's energies. He smirked. He raised his hand up. Darkness energy flowed out of his hand. When it reached the two, they wore confusion, wondering what this was.

And then they slowed down. Both quickly noticed, and they tried exerting more energy, but they could not. They eventually slowed to a full stop, and they saw that they've arrived at the castle.

"We're here. But what the heck was up with that darkness energy?" Jackie asked. "Kinda felt... Plurixian."

"That would be my doing." The stranger spoke.

Both gasped in shock, their heads lowering to see him.

They both knew that voice. When they saw him, Jackie instantly recognized the clothing he wore. The same black coat, the same black gloves, the same shirt and pants... it was like as if he was there to see her the next day. Levi instantly recognized his face and appearance. But it was the eyes that what got their attention. Those same damned red eyes that gave a sense of familiarity towards the two. To say that they were shocked by this man's appearance was a huge understatement.

"It's you!" They both said. They gasped again, turning towards each other. "You know him?!" They simultaneously asked the other.

The man gave a mirthful laugh. "It would seem that way. But I have known both of you." He then had his gaze on Levi. "Especially you, Levi."

Jackie gave a curious but worried glance to the prince. "Levi? What do you know about this guy?"

He was shocked into silence. But he recovered and asked Jackie, "You first. How do you know about him?"

"Well... do you remember the time you underwent your maturation stage?" He gave a nod. "When you fell down from the sky and crashed onto the concrete, I went to see you, when I saw this guy, same clothing and all, and there was some sort of blue glow on his hands towards your body. All I knew then was that he healed you up, and he told me that we'd meet again, and that I'd never mention this to anyone-"

"-not even you, Levi." The man interrupted and finished for her.

Levi thought about the events that day. He realized when he asked one time, she never did give a straight answer, and he promptly forgot about it. He realized it made sense.

Now, back to the main topic at hand. He looked back at him as he still hadn't shook off the copious amounts of shock he felt upon seeing _him_ again.

"Eight long years, little brother. It has been eight long years." He said to him, giving a smile that sent chills down both of their spines.

A few tears sprung, dripping down his face. Then he shook his head and angrily cried. "What are you doing here, Yannick?! No—why _and how_ are you even standing here, alive and well, like as if that day eight years ago didn't happen?! I thought you died! _I thought you fucking died!_ I saw my big brother die when I plunged that damned dagger onto your heart! Do you have any idea how much it hurt all of us when I had no choice but to kill you to spare you the pain of your madness, especially me?! _IT HURT!_ _IT FUCKING HURT ALL OF US! HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!_ _HOW IS MY BROTHER, THE ONE I LOOKED UP TO ALL MY LIFE, ALIVE?!_ "He yelled out towards him.

Jackie gasped, her palm covering her mouth in total shock. _'Is... is this Levi's brother?!'_ She thought, letting out a few muffled cries. She felt so much pain for her best friend. After all, it wasn't like one could just die and be back from the dead and find out about that eight years later. That was impossible. And she knew how much this big of a revelation could shake someone's mind into something unexplainable.

"Wh-why are you here?" Jackie asked, afraid for Levi.

Suddenly, Yannick laughed like a madman. Then he abruptly ended it when he narrowed his eyes, now truly serious. Once again, both felt the same chilling feeling as before.

"If it wasn't obvious now, then I'll make it official. I'm here to kill you, brother."

* * *

 **Rest in peace, Chester Bennington. You and the band have been a part of the better and worse days I had. The music of Linkin Park will always stay in my heart forever.**

 **Cheesy, I know, but I just felt it. Y'know, I wanted to make a little 'breather' episode before this one. But then that day happened, and it influenced me to change things up. I want to get this done quickly and as beautifully as possible. I figured to save that up for the next one.**

 **With that in mind, two chapters remain before the finale. Remember to review.**

 **Also... if you know anyone in need... anyone who's considering ending their own life... please, PLEASE, help that person. Listen to them, hear their problems, just do the best you can. Be there for that person. Show them that you care, that there are still people in this world who do give a damn about them. Give them hope. That's the best thing you can do. Hope is a powerful force that can change many things.**


	27. Year 2 - Storm The Castle, Part 2

**Storm The Castle, Part 2**  
 **Levi's long-dead brother, Yannick, has revealed himself to be alive and well, and vows to end Levi's life, forcing Levi to fight the brother he thought was long gone, and at the same time question his motives. Jackie, meanwhile, assists Star in freeing Marco, but against Toffee and his machinations, even with both fully capable of fighting, it will not be easy...**

* * *

 _"If it wasn't obvious now, then I'll make it official. I'm here to kill you, brother."_

Those words struck a chord in the young prince's heart. He's known his brother for a long time now. He still held his older brother to a high regard. Even now. He still loved him, even after his death. So now, hearing these words from the same person in which he thought he killed, it nearly broke him. He didn't understand why. He thought that he still loved the little brother he had.

But that was eight years ago. Much had changed since then. He didn't know what caused him to change so much. Then again, having to nearly die would change someone's perception, even if he accepted it wholeheartedly as he did eight years ago.

However, he understood. He turned to his best friend.

"Jackie?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Get going. Assist Star and save Marco."

"What?!" She furiously shook her head. "Are you crazy?! NO! I can't let you risk yourself! We can take him on together!"

"Jackie... there's no way we can take him on together. You might die. I don't want that to happen."

"You think I'd rather just leave you here?! He said it himself! He's going to kill you!" She cried out.

"I can't risk the possibility of losing you. You're too much for me to bear if you died."

"I don't want to let you die either! I can handle myself too! At least together we have a chance!"

"No. I'm sorry. This is my fight, and my fight alone."

Her eyes were red. Her tears were showing. It was clear she didn't want him to do this alone.

Yannick was watching the entire exchange with interest, aware of how close the two were. _'Soon enough those two will be strong enough together, provided neither of them die, especially_ _my little brother_ _.'_

Levi placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to look up straight towards his eyes.

"I understand that you want to fight him as well. But... this is personal now. He wants to kill me. I'm _not_ going to let that happen."

She sniffed. "I can't change your mind, can I?" She asked, which prompted a shake of his head. "Then... promise me you'll be okay."

"I swear. I'm not gonna let my own brother kill me. Now go."

She hesitated. She stared deeply into his eyes as he stared into hers. Both were filled with worry. She reached up and pressed her forehead to his, arms around his neck. Her eyes were closed.

"You better not. Not only for my sake, but for Star's too." She then broke away from him and ran past Yannick, and passed right through the door into the castle. With everything settled, Levi faced his older brother.

"You ever gonna tell her that you love her?" Yannick asked him, chuckling.

"I don't love her." Levi denied.

Yannick mockingly shook his head, laughing a bit. "Yeah right, and I'm dead. Don't think of me as blind, little brother. It's almost gonna be a year now that you've stayed here on Earth, and your bond with her is special and strong. I've seen it. I've seen it grow and strengthen. In due time, you two will be one of the strongest duos I've ever witnessed in my life. It will be beautiful. The love you'll share will be beautiful too."

"Is this really a good time to talk about my love life?" He deadpanned towards his older brother.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

Suddenly, he was on him, glowing dark hands threatening to overpower his younger brother as he struggled against him. "It's a shame that won't happen as I have to kill you. But... I'll need to see if you've learned anything."

"I don't want to fight you like this!" Levi blasted him away with his dark energy. His own hands were now glowing with dark energy as well.

"Then you'll only make it easier for me." He created a dark sword and charged straight at him. Levi only barely blocked his strike with his conjured staff.

' _He's so fast! I almost couldn't see him! Damn... I only saw it at the last second.'_ He thought. He was then caught off-guard with a kick to his side, which dropped his guard, and the sword plunged towards his shoulder. He fell to the ground, holding his shoulder, slightly bleeding as he yelled in pain as the sword disintegrated and faded in darkness. His brother stood over him, frown etched on his face. It was clear that he was disappointed.

"This isn't eight years ago, Levi. This is the present, and at any rate, if you hesitate, I won't hesitate to just kill you here. Do you think similar enemies will make it more lenient because you don't want to fight them 'like this?' You will have to let that notion go, because if you don't... well, you know what happens."

He took a few steps away from him, and a blue glow appeared on Levi's shoulder wound. The wound sealed itself shut and disappeared, the shoulder fully healed. In confusion, he looked at it and back at his brother.

"Stand up, Levi. This is only the beginning." Yannick commanded. He did as instructed, a sword now on hand. When Yannick saw that, he made his own sword.

"Good to see you learn quickly." He noted.

"I'm the brother of the youngest member to join the Defense Line. I learned a lot from you." Levi answered back.

Yannick shrugged. He didn't deny that. In fact, he'd be proud of it. "That much is true. But I wonder how much you've really learned. Now, let's dance." Both stood in silence, eyes closed, swords held with both arms.

They were waiting. Waiting for that moment, the very beginning of the true fight. Then the downpour began. Lightning struck. With their speed enhanced, the brothers clashed, and so began the bitter fight, one that Levi had battling with himself on what he should do, while worrying for his friends.

It was clear that from this day forward, nothing will ever be the same.

* * *

' _Just need to hear sounds of fighting, and I have Star's location.'_ Jackie thought to herself as she ran through the castle, focusing on her hearing to find the room where Star and the trapped Marco are at. Not long since coming inside, she already heard magic blasts. Magic blasts she knew were Star's specialty when fighting monsters. Without hesitation, she headed straight for the room where the blasts were coming from.

Star was currently beating the ever-living crap out of the monsters with Buff Frog's help while Toffee merely spectated in interest, despite that he only had one arm. Ludo was still hiding somewhere in the room. When all the monsters were down, save for him, she leaped towards the chandelier and used her wand to create some sort of magical rainbow-colored rocket launcher to blast the crystal prison to smithereens. The rocket shot and hit the prison, but when the dust settled, the crystal was still undamaged.

Star, understandably, got pissed off. With a resounding " **NO.** " her features became more focused and she had nothing else on her mind but saving her best friend as she jumped down from the chandelier, finally having enough of the distractions. As the monsters tried to recover, she cast a barrier of smoke on both sides to prevent them from harming her. She approached the cage.

It was at this point that the other blonde arrived. Seeing the smoke barriers and the recovering monsters, Jackie quickly took them out one by one, rendering them unconscious with blade strikes, brutal shots to their heads, and light-based sleep needles. As she could not penetrate through the barrier at all for some reason, she opted to leap to the ceiling and stick there, trying to see where Star was at. It surprised her to see Star floating, her cheeks glowing, and most importantly, her wand glowing with immense power. The magic being directed from the wand was so strong that the blonde skater was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer force of it, managing to just barely stick to the ceiling while resisting the heavy air the magic was giving off. The two fighting brothers even sensed it from outside, but they paid no mind.

It was a testament to how powerful the princess and Mewnian heir could truly be if she trained more, became more serious, and if her friends were in extremely grave danger. Though secretly she'd hope that the last one would never come to fruition.

With all of her energy, Star cast the spell and struck the crystal, _easily_ destroying it in a fit of light and smoke. She gently fell down and her cheeks and wand returned to normal. When she saw the destroyed crystal, she gasped in surprise, realizing that her spell worked perfectly.

Jackie still held quiet, watching all of it unfold, along with some of the other conscious monsters recovering. She had wanted to put them down as well, but realized she had no time to do so while being discreet about herself. She stayed put instead.

"Marco!" She exclaimed. She went and immediately and accidentally tackled him to the ground. "Oh, hehe, sorry, got too excited there." She helped him up. Before Marco could say anything, Star was up and running again. "C'mon, quickly, we better get going!"

Star was able to get out of the crystal. Marco, however, was unable to, as the crystal prison regrew.

"Oh no..." Star despairingly said. Jackie thought of the same. One monster grabbed her, and both girls saw Buff Frog knocked out.

' _Damn it... too late...'_ Jackie thought in her own little bout of despair.

"Stop. Let her go." Toffee instructed, having not spoken since greeting Star. The monster let go of her. Star clutched her body in an attempt to breathe again.

"That is no way to treat our... guest of honor. We invited her, after all." He said, as his arm regenerated, growing back in a matter of seconds. Toffee had a remote control in his other hand, his thumb on the button. Before he could do so much as press it, he felt his hand being sliced off. He let out a small yelp of pain as he held the part where his hand once was. The part where it was sliced through had burn marks, and had smoke coming off of it.

"Not this again..." He muttered.

"Jackie?!" Both Star and Marco uttered, shocked. Jackie, dagger in hand, landed next to the severed hand. She turned back towards them.

"Hey there, you two." She greeted.

The monsters were closing in on her, but she was at her calmest. Her dagger glowed and transformed into a staff. She cautiously watched the monsters surrounding her, waiting, baiting for one of them to move first.

And just as she had predicted, one of them, the monster with spikes for hands, went to grab at her. She reacted perfectly, ducking below the huge mace-like hands and struck him on the chin with her staff, then sweeping his legs below. She followed that with a deadly swing, sending the monster flying to the wall, impacting head-first, rendering him unconscious for good. A second monster would try his chances. She merely disposed of him by outstretching her left arm, and a beam of light energy shot through, blasting away the monster to the wall, leaving a dent on it.

She calmly breathed after. She silently thanked her best friend for being able to unlock the next part of her powers a few days before today, which was her energy manipulation.

"Anyone else?" She only said while in a battle stance, her staff gone, ready to use her upper-tier powers.

The monsters knew better than to go at her individually. They may be a bit less smart than most, but they had the common sense to think of not doing what was done earlier, which was to charge at her one at a time.

So they instead charged at her all at once. But it was what she expected. She closed her eyes, slowed her breaths, and focused her energies. Her body glowed in a beautiful white light. Most of the monsters covered their eyes, but Star and Marco were simply amazed, and so was Toffee. He himself was stunned.

' _So beautiful...'_ Star and Marco thought. When Jackie opened her eyes, her sea green irises showed a similar glow. A warm smile adorned her face, and an echo resonated, pushing back all the surrounding monsters with a strong force. She turned her attention to Star.

"Star! Let's combine our powers!" She instructed. Star looked back at her in surprise, but it switched to a look of excitement as she took out her wand.

"Awesome!" The princess only said, now standing by her side. But a few seconds later, she collapsed, coughing a bit. Jackie looked at her in concern.

"You can still be able to do that... what you did earlier, right?" She asked.

Star went silent for a few moments. In all honesty, she activated that spell almost in impulse, and it would be difficult to be able to project that spell again in such a short time. But, well, she _is_ Star Butterfly, and impossible stuff is almost like the norm for her. This, however, is different.

"I think I can. I'm not sure, but I'll try." Star said, unsure of herself whether she can be able to use that spell again, as she struggled a bit to stand up. While she did perform the spell on impulse, it also sapped much of Star's own magical energy, due to not being able to control how much magic she released with the spell. Doing another one in her current state could possibly mean a bad side effect of some sort. But before she could think if she really can, she felt Jackie hold one of her hands. The same glow on Jackie transferred over to Star. She herself was now glowing with the same color Jackie had, albeit temporarily.

"I know how much power it must've taken to destroy the crystal the first time. Took a lot out of you. Here, take some of my energy." She explained. Star felt the energy Jackie had given her empower her, diminishing away her exhaustion and re-energized her.

"Wow, I feel like I can do multiple spells at once now!" She said. She turned to her friend and they both nodded. Like before, Star and the wand glowed. She raised the wand, aimed towards the crystal prison once more and both held their hands on her wand.

Without another word, they blasted the combined spell at the prison.

* * *

Back outside, the brothers continued their battle.

Levi ducked a spear thrown at him and retaliated with a dark ray, to which Yannick blocked with a shield he created. Clasping his hands, Levi slammed on the ground, and black pointed pillars rose. Yannick saw them coming, and he gracefully dodged each one rising from the ground. He would then cut the pillars and kick each one towards his younger brother. Upon spotting the rapidly approaching projectiles, Levi summoned great effort and expended more energy to blast the pillars with energy spheres. The pillars and spheres merged and then disintegrated into little black particles.

Levi's hands burned, as he had spent much of his energies in this battle.

"You know how this ends, Yannick." He said to him. Yannick grinned madly in return.

"Ah, so you understand now? That ultimately, no matter what we do, it'll end in your death? Have you finally made sense?" He asked.

Levi's response was to shake his head. "No. All our fights, our battles, our interactions, this all ends with me taking you back home. We'll be a full family again, after eight long years that we've thought that you died. We've missed you so much."

Yannick's features softened, and he shook his head in return as well. "There's nothing for me there anymore."

"What are you talking about? Of course there's still something there for you! There's still us!" He said, confused about his words.

"No. I chose this. I faked my death and left my home altogether. I haven't regretted it since. You won't understand, little brother."

"Then help me understand why you're doing this!" Levi, at this point, was pleading. After seeing him after a long time, thinking that he was dead, he dearly wished to just complete his family again, to reunite him with everyone, especially his parents.

"You want to understand?" He said, before disappearing. Levi looked around to find him.

"Then wait a few years." From above, Yannick was rapidly descending, aimed at his brother. Levi sensed him and quickly avoided the attack.

And then all of a sudden, the world turned dark.

"Can you be able to fight if you can't see in total darkness?" Yannick spoke in the darkness. Levi could not exactly pinpoint where he was, and he knew at this point he was losing. Losing fast. If he couldn't be able to find a way to restore the light and counter his brother's attack, then he'd lose, and possibly die, for sure.

"Is this another lesson, or are you trying to cheat to kill me?" He asked aloud.

"You should really be more worried about saving your own life instead of trying to debate my morality."

Levi, while not being able to see in the darkness, was able to hear and sense the energies of most around him, and his brother was no exception.

He felt a punch aimed at his chest, to which he blocked it. He felt another, and he did the same. He felt the heat of the darkness energy on his hands and arms and quickly disposed of them, expending the energy, as the energy did not belong to him. He then sensed Yannick rapidly approaching him again, and this time responded with a darkness blast. Yannick got blasted but quickly recovered.

"It seems Master Li'An taught you a lot." Yannick noted.

"He helped me cope with the loss too, ever since my powers first manifested." Levi said back.

Yannick gave a smirk. "Good to see that, then."

As Yannick moved, Levi realized he couldn't sense his energy.

' _So he's able to mask his energy signatures. If he can do that, then soon enough, I can as well.'_ He thought. When he heard the sound of a blade, he immediately moved back. However, he felt a cut on his cheek and felt it with his hand. Small droplets of blood were slowly leaking out.

He didn't have time to seal it up, however, as he heard the sound again. This time, he moved back and grabbed the arm that was holding the blade.

Yannick looked at his brother in surprise. He tried to pull away his arm, but found that he couldn't do so that much.

' _What's holding me to his hand? Did he use his energies to bind my arm?'_ He thought.

Levi moved the grip of his hand on his brother's arm to the blade he was holding. He gripped it tighter, cutting through the flesh, and pulled the blade away from his arm. He screamed out as he did. Yannick only looked at him in horror. While he had his intentions to kill his younger brother, he did not want it to be like this. He did not want him to experience something like this.

But, as Yannick knew sometimes, Levi was desperate. And he realized this too late in this moment.

Finally, the blade was thrown away to the sky, as Yannick could not hold it any longer. Levi's right hand was a bloodied and cut mess.

Finally, the world lit up once more. Both simply stood, facing each other, much like what happened before they began.

* * *

When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, the crystal prison was a fragmented mess. Both girls heavily breathed, recovering from the combined magic attack they brought to Marco's confinement.

"We did it. Again. Marco, c'mon!" Star yelled out. Marco was on his feet and running.

However, before Marco could get out, they heard the sound of a click, and the prison rebuilt itself again. All three widened their eyes in shock and horror.

Toffee had recovered far quicker than the two, and he was able to retrieve the remote control and press the button. He returned to the chair he was sitting on.

Now, the crystal lowered. The girls quickly tried to hold it up, but it was no use.

"No, no, no, no! Stop, stop! Stop! STOP!" Star pleaded as she tried her best. After a moment, she took a few steps back and tried to use her spell again. "Jackie, come on!"

Toffee shook his head at her feeble attempt. "That isn't going to work a third time. It's twice as strong as the second attempt you did."

Marco tried his best to hold up the cell to prevent him from being crushed. "Don't worry, Star, Jackie! I think I can handle this..."

Before Marco and Jackie could respond, Star jumped on the table facing the lizard monster and dropped her wand on the plate in front of him.

"Fine. Take it. You have what you want now. So let my best friend go."

Before Toffee could utter a word, Ludo had jumped on the table, surprising Star, and tried to grab the wand. Toffee wasn't surprised in the slightest. The chicken monster grabbed him in his beak.

"Do you think I'm like Ludo, Star?" He said to Star. Turning to the chicken monster, he told him, "Just swallow him." He did as he asked.

Jackie looked at the monster in slight disgust, shock, and horror.

Toffee pushed the wand back to Star. "I don't want your wand. Destroy it."

The looks from the three were all of confusion. "Whaaaaaaat?"

" _ **SURPRISE!**_ " He said, as he held a sinister smile that for a moment, gave chills to the three's spines. Just as soon as he held the look, he returned to his normal, impassive look.

Star looked down at her wand. "I can't. I don't even know how."

"Yes, you do. It's the first spell your mother taught you."

Star gasped as she realized what he meant. "The Whispering Spell."

Toffee nodded. "Exactly." He leaned forward. "Jackie and Marco are waiting."

Star turned to the crystal prison. It was now threatening to crush Marco. Jackie stood, knowing there was nothing she could do to free Star's best friend.

"Star?" Both asked.

She turned back to Toffee and the wand. Though reluctant, she kneeled down and picked up the wand.

"I'm sorry." She softly said. She then performed the spell as she whispered to the wand.

The effect on the spell to her wand was evident to those still conscious. The wand was turning grey, the star-shaped crystal embedded in the wand was turning black, and the wings were disintegrating. Finally, the being inside the wand emerged, now a ghost.

Tears welled up in her eyes. The ghost of the being whispered something to Star, and she gasped in response, all the while Toffee watched with a frigid look.

Star wiped away her tears. She dropped the wand, looking back at the individual who changed everything for her. "Now... let Marco go."

"You fulfilled your end. I will fulfill mine." He pressed the button on the remote. The prison rose up and a door manifested.

Star and Jackie ran into the cell and into Marco. Star shoved him into the floor... again, and then locked themselves in the cell with him.

Buff Frog was now just waking up. Both Jackie and Star looked at him and instructed, "Run."

He looked at Toffee and saw the wand. He realized what they meant. He turned to the tadpoles. "Oh, my babies!" He quickly picked them up and ran away from the room and out of the castle.

"This isn't over yet, isn't it?" Jackie asked.

Star nodded.

Toffee turned to the monsters that were under Ludo's former leadership. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure."

* * *

Yannick and Levi were still standing still facing each other when they saw the frog monster quickly run away.

"What was that about?" Levi wondered. Both turned to the castle.

"So it's almost over..." Yannick trailed off. He turned back to his younger brother.

"This is goodbye for now." He turned away from him and cut open a portal.

"Wait, what are you talking about?!" Levi asked. He then felt his bloodied hand heal up.

"Just know that we'll see each other again. If you want, it's alright by me for you to tell our mom and dad and Yelena that I'm still alive." He began to walk towards the portal.

Before he fully walked through, he turned his head towards him. "Don't try to find me. Even if you had help, no doubt from our parents, it'll be pointless. You'll know when we'll meet again. Hopefully, under different circumstances. Goodbye... for now, little brother."

The portal closed as he disappeared inside. A few tears welled up. He closed his eyes.

' _I'm gonna get you back. I promise.'_ He thought to himself, wiping away his tears. He then saw the castle explode. He gave an audible gasp.

"JACKIE! STAR! MARCO!" He yelled, running towards the ruins of the castle. He ran past the smashed concrete and infrastructure, then finally arriving at where the trio were at, which was the crash site of the wand.

He watched as the three looked at the bottom of the crater. He walked closer. He then saw Star and Marco turn to each other and hug. He looked further at the bottom of the crater, where he saw the wand, no longer alive.

He gasped and turned to Jackie, who could only give a nod as her eyes filled with sadness. He immediately went and hugged her.

They then heard a voice and then turned to where it was coming from. At the crater, there was a millhorse. He spoke in Italian, which greatly confused them.

' _How is this horse speaking in another language?'_ All four similarly thought. They saw the millhorse enter the wand, which then sank slowly into the ground. They then went down the crater and approached the smaller crater that surrounded the wand. All of a sudden, crystals began to rise around the crater, and a big one rose from where the wand was. They saw that this certain crystal had something inside it. The crystal opened, and out from it came a new wand. It flew to Star's hands.

"Whoa..." Star said in astonishment, holding up her wand. The other three were looking in amazement at the wand as well.

"Upgrade." Marco uttered in his amazement.

They then heard the sound of hooves approaching their way. Armored knights and knights on horseback then appeared, surrounding them. One of those knights ran into Marco.

"Oh, Marco, I'm so happy to see you well!" He said, giving a laugh.

"Errr... do I know you?"

"Marco, it's me! Your dad!" The knight unveiled his helmet, revealing that it was Rafael.

"Dad!" Marco said, hugging him.

One of the cavalry knights unveiled herself, revealing herself to be Angie.

"My turn!" She fell onto the ground but quickly stood up.

"Mom!" He went up to his mom and hugged her.

"Wait. How did you guys get here?" Star asked.

Another one of the cavalry knights walked forward. "They used..." He opened up his helmet as he spoke. It was King Butterfly. "...your mirror."

The other three teens looked at each other.

"Looks like we've got some explaining to do." Jackie said.

"That much is correct." A new voice was heard for the three.

Levi gave a small smirk, as he recognized whose voice that was.

"Greetings, Queen Moon." He said, bowing down. Jackie followed as he did, in respect for someone of such royalty.

"No need to bow, Prince Levi. That goes the same for your friend. You've respected me as much as I've respected you and your family, so I see no need. I can see that your friend is also someone who can be trusted." Moon said.

The two then stood back up.

"I guess we all better go back to the castle. I think we can explain everything there." Jackie suggested.

"Agreed." The others said.

* * *

"Don't fault Star for this. It's been a little over a year now, I know, but there's still so much for us to understand." Levi reasoned.

"I understand that, but, there's still mistakes made." Moon said. She turned to Star. "Star, you have abused your magic, frightened Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, and destroyed your wand. Not to mention... you even dragged the heir of Plurix's throne to this. Did I leave anything out?"

"Hey, on that last part, dragging us into this... we chose this. We wanted to help her." Jackie said.

Moon thought about it, and then she sighed. "Well, I suppose if it was you and the Prince's decision, then I can let that slide. But you must tell Victor and Corrina Anne, Levi." She told him.

"I understand, Your Highness." He said.

It was now Star's turn to speak. "Uhhh, well, there's a bunch of other stuff you don't know about."

Marco, Levi, and Jackie shushed her.

"No, I think that's everything. I know I've made my mistakes, and I understand the ramifications of them. But look!" She held out the wand, which was actually lacking half of the star crystal embedded in it, to her mother.

For a moment, neither King and Queen could give any words.

"It's... uhhh..." She decided to just take the wand. "I'll take it and get it conditioned better for you."

"Please don't be mad, mom. You have that look when you're mad, and I know that I-"

She was unexpectedly hugged by Moon.

"Does this mean you're not mad?" She asked, reluctant.

"Oh, I'm always mad. But I'm happy that you're safe." Moon explained.

Jackie and Levi smiled as they looked on.

A horse then made itself known, and they turned to see Marco's parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, I'm sorry I made you guys worry.

"No, it's okay, Star. We're just glad that everyone's okay." Angie told her. She then jumped on the horse. "And I'm on a horse too!"

Unfortunately, she inadvertently scared the horse and it quickly ran off. Marco and Rafael ran after it.

Star, Jackie, and Levi turned to the monarchs.

"Errrr..." Star said. Moon could only chuckle and smile.

"Go ahead, Star." Star grinned and headed off outside, but not before looking back at the pair of best friends.

"I'll see you guys back on Earth!" She said and ran off.

With almost everything settled, the two turned back towards Moon and River.

"What else happened?" Moon asked.

Neither could speak. Both were reluctant.

"Yannick is alive."

Slowly, both husband and wife's expressions changed from concern to surprise.

"Your brother... after eight years since his supposed death... is actually alive. What do you intend to do?" River asked, still recovering from the new information given.

"That's the problem. There's nothing I can do to find him. He himself said that finding him is impossible, even with help from my family. The best I can do now is to just wait." Levi explained.

"Then, as a statement from all of Mewni, we wish you luck in reuniting your brother." Moon said.

"Thank you, Queen Moon. Now, I think it's time we get going back. It's probably already early morning." Levi said, turning to his best friend.

"Ah, right. Let's."

As the portal was cut open, Jackie turned to the Mewnian King and Queen.

"Queen Moon, King River... thank you."

"No need for such formal thanks, Jackie. We're happy that you two are safe as well." Moon said.

Jackie nodded, and both exited Mewni, arriving back home.

Before Levi could recover and leave, though, Jackie was already on him, arms locked around his torso.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"No reason. I thought I lost you when you fought your brother." She said.

"Speaking of my brother... I think it's time."

"What do you mean?"

"If you remember what happened in the Plains of Time, you saw some moments that me and Yannick had. I'm now going to reveal everything about him, along with most of the events in my life with him."

Jackie gave a small smile. "You don't have to do this now, you know."

"Yeah, but I want to open up about this now. This was the secret."

She shrugged as she held the smile she had for him. "Alright, your call, but... I think we should get into a more comfortable position."

"Agreed."

Soon after, they were on the couch, Levi's head resting on Jackie's lap, her hand trailing on his hair, fiddling and ruffling with them.

"Right then." He said, holding Jackie's other hand.

And so he began.

 _"If there's one thing I've always known about Yannick, it's that he keeps to himself, even to me, but even with that, I loved him. He was the best brother I could ever have. We all loved him. And then in one day it was all ripped away from us."_

* * *

 **AN: What a reunion. And how sad it was too. Yannick's gonna appear much more in the next season. Anyways, please leave a review below to give me your thoughts about the chapter, and about how Yannick fared too in his introductory chapters.**

 **Thanks for reading, and until then.**


	28. Finale - Midnightmares

**Midnightmares  
On the eve of a certain day, Levi gets nightmares yet again. This time, they fully appear in the real world, and so do the fears of everyone else in Echo Creek, along with the emergence of his dark self. It's up to Jackie, with Star, Marco, and Janna's help to overcome them if they wish to get back Levi from his dark self and fix the nightmarish Echo Creek from his dark self's clutches in this long night.**

* * *

Jackie felt a cold shiver as she stirred in her sleep, dreamless. She kept tossing and turning around on her bed, trying to dull the coldness she felt. Eventually she couldn't take it anymore and sat up, now awake. She looked at the alarm next to her bed: Twelve midnight. She then looked around her room for any signs of the where the cold aura was coming from. She saw the door to her room slightly open, and she knew that before she went to sleep hours ago, it was closed, after both she and Levi said goodnight to each other as they returned to their rooms.

' _Something's not right here...'_ She thought. She followed the faint yet noticeable aura of the could out of her room and into Levi's. Looking at the closed door with the dark blue aura trail, she had a look of worry. She twisted the doorknob open and went inside. There, she saw him shivering and shaking and twitching on his bed. Worriedly, she checked on him, placing her right palm on his chest. She closed her eyes and her body gave a faint, ethereal glow.

In the months that passed since the two trained their abilities, Jackie developed an ability to sense auras around her, albeit the aura that's being given off is slightly faint. She can be able to make the glow of the aura brighter, but it takes energy for her to use it. Over time, she would then be able to sense auras at greater distances and brighter glows through the development of her abilities. Not to mention, she has also developed an ability where she can sense the energies in an individual's body through physical contact, but only through complete focus on what the body is holding.

In this case, she was sensing a serious anomaly in Levi's body. Seconds later, she quickly retracted her palm from his body and opened his eyes, gasping in shock. She heavily breathed as her eyes darted over him.

' _He's...he's so cold! He's brimming with so much darkness energy! Too much, actually, to the point that the literal energy, while invisible, is leaking from his body! Something's really wrong with him, and I need to stop this fast before-'_ Her thoughts were interrupted as her best friend's body covered itself in darkness energy and, in a wide radius, expended it, blowing Jackie away in a gust of force through the window and onto the ground. She gave a cough and grunted as she rolled onto her back, staring into the clear night sky as the room of her best friend separated itself from the house and floated upwards. Soon enough, everything else around her began floating and separating, including her house. As she stood up, the ground below her floated up as well. Using her energy to stabilize the flow of her body, she balanced her body to adjust to the speed and force of the levitation. The floating ground eventually stopped rising up, and through that, she heard the sound of a voice. It was a voice that felt mature, calming, and even Levi-like, except it felt like something far darker and far more sinister.

"Jackie? Are you okay?" He said. She was almost fooled by it, but she knew the real him by heart. The sincerity may have been seemingly genuine, but it was just fake.

"You're not my Levi." She said. Moments later, she felt weirded out by the words she just said. _'My Levi? That was strange.'_ But she shrugged off the thought.

He chuckled. "Oh, I know that you can sense who I really am. It's not hard given how close you two are and how your powers are so intrinsically tied to each other." He said.

Given the confused look, Jackie wasn't so sure. "What are you talking about?"

"You'll find out in due time. In the meantime, let me introduce myself." Dark smoke began to form in front of her. "In its basest and simplest explanation, I am his dark manifestation. My name is Shadow Levi, but you can call me L for short." The smoke dissipated, and in it a darker-looking Levi appeared, looking very similar to his maturation stage form. The white markings, the dark powder that was being released every time he moved, the white eyes, it was all there.

"How were you able to get out? I thought he locked you in where you couldn't ever escape. And where's the real Levi?"

"So many questions, my dear, yet you have no time to get the answers." He said, encircling around her, gently touching her shoulder with his finger. Jackie shivered. "But nonetheless, I'll answer them." In a cloud of smoke, he appeared back in front of her.

"Did you really think that I've only been staying here and doing nothing? While he was doing what he wanted freely, I was inside his mind. I've been patient. I've been waiting for his mind to weaken for a while now ever since he matured. Every instance where he was breaking, I grew ever so slightly stronger. The traumatic experiences, the time he re-lived the day his brother 'died', and now opening up to you. It took a lot out of your dear best friend to tell his stories. And every time I felt him weakening, I took pleasure in his pain." He then appeared behind her, whispering to her ear, "Why is he in pain? It's because of you. You wanted to know more about him, and so you did know about him more, at the cost of his sanity. You went too far. It's your fault I'm here."

As he spoke, Jackie felt her resolve weakening. "I...I didn't see it. I didn't notice that he was in so much pain. As his best friend, I..."

L grinned. "Yes, you should've helped him. You should've stopped probing into his past. You did too much."

However, she still found some strength to fight his words. "No...I should've helped him ease his pain. The past is the past. There's nothing I could've done to fix what happened. I didn't think that he was still so affected..." She said, shaking her head.

"Is that what you really believe, dear Jackie? Or are you just trying to hide your guilt? You know that you're to blame." He said.

"I'm gonna stop you. You existed in the first place. You're nothing but a nuisance to him. You've caused him pain, and I can't let you get away with that." She glared at him. _'There's no way we could've known. He's the cause of his pain, and I'm gonna end him.'_

"You know, you can almost say the same thing about Yannick." L responded. The blond skateboarder shook her head.

"This is not about him in any way. This is about my best friend, and I'm going to stop you, no matter what."

L chuckled, as if he was delightful that she was still unwavering. "Oh I don't doubt that. However, will you stop me in time? It's midnight, dear Jackie, and you have a little less than a few hours to save your best friend. Good luck. You're gonna need it. Desperately." L disappeared into the clear sky in a cloud of smoke-

"Oh, wait, almost forgot. If you're wondering where your dear precious Levi is, he's right up there." L reappeared before her and pointed up to the sky, and she followed where he was pointing at. It was Levi's room.

And it was so far up.

Jackie groaned. "You've got to be kidding me." She said in a deadpan tone, looking back down to him.

He shook his head. "You don't take Levi for a fool, so you shouldn't take me for a fool either. As I said, good luck. And I do hope you'll make it very enjoyable for me, because I've found a strange...attraction to you. Must be these stupid emotions you mortals experience. No matter." He disappeared for good, probably back to the room.

She looked back up to his room, now actually her house, at least in hard light form as her house was still near her location. She knew she couldn't do this alone. She needed help to get Levi back. Without hesitation, she reached in her pocket to get the scissors-

' _What?!'_ She couldn't feel them anywhere in her pocket. They weren't there. She must've left them in her room. She cursed to herself. _'Ah damn it. I'll have to go with Plan B, then.'_

Without hesitation, and this time for real, she headed towards Marco's house.

Even without her ability active, Jackie felt the different faint auras around her. While differing in a lot of ways, there was one similarity among all of them, and it's that they're all suffering. Whoever possessed these auras were hurting, though she did not know why. As much as she wanted to finish this night quickly...no, she really did. But she could not ignore them. She had to do something. As these thoughts circled around her, she eventually arrived at her destination.

"I hope I'm doing the right choice..." She murmured to herself as she went through the door and living room, heading up the stairs. As she did, she sensed a dormant (in a sense that it wasn't glowing) yet fluctuating red aura, and she felt pain from it as well. _'Must be Marco...good god, I hope he's okay...'_ She thought as she stood before the door to his room. She knocked to be sure, and as she expected, there was no answer, and the aura was still evident. She twisted the doorknob, expecting it to be locked, but to her surprise, it wasn't. She opened the door to see Marco shaking and muttering to himself, holding his right arm.

"No...stop! STOP! I'm not gonna let you eat anyone's bowels! I'm not gonna let you control me again!" He said, as if fighting his arm. She noticed that the arm he was holding was what the former monster arm possessed. She hurriedly went over to him.

"Marco wake up! It's not real! The arm's not real! It's only a nightmare!" Jackie said, trying to shake him awake. He responded with a punch that she luckily avoided, jumping out of the bed. The karate teen jumped and lunged at the girl. "I'm not gonna let you hurt Star!" He said. She held his arms as she struggled against his grip. Even with her powers, she knew Marco was still physically stronger than her, considering that he had been doing karate for a long time compared to her, who was just starting out with her newfound powers and training, even with Levi's assistance.

What she couldn't beat with physical power, she beat him by using her skills. With Marco's legs free, she kicked his left leg, and he collapsed to the floor. She moved away from him a bit. Her body then glowed a deep yellow. Marco quickly recovered and charged at her.

"I'm sorry for this, Marco, but I have no choice, so WAKE UP!" With a light-infused fist, she punched him across the face, sending him to the floor. Her intended effect was instantaneous, as light emanated from his body. Seconds after, the light faded, and he woke up staring right into her sea-green eyes as she knelt to check on him.

"Jackie?" He said. "Ow..." He rubbed the side of his cheek where she punched him. "Why does it feel like I got punched in the face?"

She sighed in relief and smiled. "You're okay. That's the best thing I've heard so far tonight. You were having a nightmare, and you attacked me, so I had to straighten you out, somewhat. Sorry Marco but there was no other way I thought of for me to be able to get some sense back into you."

"I attacked you?! I'm the one who should be apologizing. I mean-"

She cut him off when she raised her hand. "There was no way you could've known, Marco. It's okay." She then helped him up.

"Why are you in your jammies?" Marco asked, slightly blushing as he was staring at her (though really, who wouldn't be?). Jackie, for the first time this night, only noticed his observation now, realizing that she never changed clothes. Then again, it was sleepy time for her.

"I am?" She said, looking over at herself. "Wow, I guess I am. I'll explain things once Star's with us, so let's go." She said, running off to Star's room, with the boy following.

Opening the door to the princess's room, they both noticed that Star was fast asleep, silent and unmoving.

"Star?" Marco said, gently rousing her awake. She slowly opened her eyes.

"M-Marco?" She asked, yawning and stretching her arms out afterwards. "What's up? Is it morning yet? And...is that Jackie? What's she doing here? And if she's here, then where's Levi?"

"Sorry to wake you up so late, Star, but it's important." Jackie said. Her bracelet was glowing, and Star took her wand.

"Levi's in danger."

* * *

"His dark manifestation?" Both teens asked.

"Yeah. Calls himself L. From all the pain Levi's been hiding, he broke out and now he's put him in danger, and gods know I can't bear for him to take more pain than it is." The blonde explained as they communicated in separate rooms (Jackie back in her house) through their phones, changing into their everyday clothes.

"And I thought my Mewberty was bad enough, but his is worse...so much worse." Star remarked.

"Why didn't he ever tell us that he was going through so much pain?" Marco wondered.

"Because he didn't want us to worry so much. He wanted to be strong for us because he felt the need to do so. He thought that he could be able to take our pain and shoulder our burden...my burden." Jackie paused, a single tear shed as she had a realization. "Oh this is my fault, you guys. I put him through so much, and I just wanted to know more, and even though he knew of what was to happen, he did it because of me. He did it for me." She dejectedly sighed as she finished lacing up. "Ever since we became friends, he's always defended me. He stuck by me, even though I was so flawed. He was always so patient with me...and now I put him in this-"

"Come on, Jackie, you know that's not true. It's not really your fault." Star voiced out, cutting her off. "It's like as you said. We all just never knew, and he hid it so well if we tried to find out. And even though we all have some share of it, as you said, L is really the one to blame. I wish I knew of what he was going through, but I'm gonna give my sorry to Levi in return when we make L pay for putting him into this, even if it means I have to Narwhal Blast him again and again. We're gonna get him back. I swear it on my grave." Star rested her hand on her chest.

"Wow, didn't think you'd be that insightful, Star." Marco joked.

"Aww, thanks Marco—wait what the heck do you mean by that?!" Star said, earning a small laugh from the blond skateboarder.

"Anyways, Star's right, you know. He means a lot to us, Star especially, and he means a heck of a lot to you. We're gonna save him, even if it takes the entire night." He said.

Jackie felt thankful that she can still count on the two. They held her on as she was hanging from the edge, emotions taking over her normally calm and cool mindset, and they pulled her up bit by bit. However, Levi was still her link, and her heart was hurting.

No literally. Her heart was now hurting her, like as if it was gripping her like a snake constricting an animal.

"You guys still..." As she spoke, she tightly clutched on her chest. "Ow...something's wrong..." She was now on her knees.

The two heard her collapse to the floor. "Jackie!" The two gasped.

"I'm...still okay...need you two here...now..." She choked out. The two heard the message loud and clear and quickly ran out of their rooms to head to her house.

That would be what they would've done had Marco's parents not been in the way. However, it looked like both were still in a sleep trance, and they were haunted by their nightmares.

"Jackie...we may have ran into trouble. We're sorry, but-" Star said, only to be cut off by Marco's next words.

"Star, you have to go! Let me handle my parents here. Jackie needs us, but you'll have to go on without me."

Star vehemently shook her head. "No Marco, I can't leave you behind!"

"Star, I'll be fine. They're my parents. I know them. We can continue arguing about this and let Jackie be in more pain, or we can do what we have to do now." He said. When Star still looked at him worried, he gave her a smile. "Trust me, Star. I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't know if I could handle my parents."

"No, you would be telling me this even if you weren't sure." She joked. Marco gave a light chuckle.

"Yeah, probably. Now go."

Star ran past his parents and exited the house, quickly heading for her friend's. The door was already open when she arrived, and she came in carefully. She went up the stairs and saw the big hole that was Levi's room and shuddered. _'Holy crap, to think someone was able to do this...'_ She thought as she walked towards Jackie's room. She could hear a voice, one that didn't belong to Jackie.

"What the hell has gotten to you...you're lucky you got me here." The voice said with a chuckle.

"Oh shut up Janna and just help me up." She could hear Jackie speak. Star's eyes grew wide. _'Janna's awake too?'_ She walked into the room and saw Janna supporting her friend up, arm slung over her shoulder.

"How did you get out?" Star asked, the question directed at the beanie-wearing girl.

"I got no nightmares. I welcome them, so I easily got out from them." Janna explained with a smirk. "I called up Jackie once I saw what was going on, and one explanation later, I'm here helping her stand up now."

"I see. Are you okay, Jackie?"

"Yeah. The pain's actually stopped, though. I don't know why."

"Well let's worry about that later and find a way to save your best friend." Star then took Jackie with Janna and helped her out of the house.

"Where's Marco?" The two girls asked Star.

"He's busy with his parents, who seem to have been controlled by their nightmares." She explained.

"Not anymore!" They heard Marco as he arrived. "They're alright now, and they're back to getting some good night's rest."

However, they had little time to speak as more of the town's residents shambled towards them, displaying similar traits as to how Marco's parents were. Black coloring was shown on their foreheads, and their voices of pain were evident.

With their approach coming near, the girls turned to Marco.

"How did you do it?" The two asked at the same time, and the boy understood what they meant.

"We can't hit them. We have to just help ease their nightmare off. So if they try to hit us, we can't dodge them. None of us have that power that Jackie has, so that's what we're gonna have to do." He turned to Jackie. "Jackie, you have to go and save Levi. Time seems to have moved faster than normal here, and at best...it'll be about an hour before six in the morning. Everyone else, try to stall and save as much as you can."

Star immediately propelled forward with her wand, chanting, "Calmness Aura!" Meanwhile Janna went on ahead a bit as well, going to a few of her friends under control.

"Are you sure you guys can do this?" Jackie said. Marco gave a resolute nod. "Alright. I guess I can leave it to you guys for it." With her powers, Jackie leaped up and onto the floating rocks heading up to Levi. Eventually she landed on the front of the created house. When she looked back down, she saw that she was so far up from the ground. It startled her a bit, but she recovered and quickly went inside and into Levi's room, where she saw him unmoving and a lot of darkness aura seeping out. She clenched her fists in anger, seeing him like this.

"L! Come out and let go of my best friend!" She yelled out. At first, nothing came through of her outburst. Then the smoke came.

"My, do you have to be so angry? Not like you can do anything, though. The sun's almost up, and I can feel myself taking over his body!" L said in joy as he appeared.

"Not while I'm here! I'm gonna lock you back in the back of his mind, never to return!" She said valiantly, as the smoke came to surround her. Immediately her bracelet glowed and disappeared, the power transferring into her arms. "Illuminate!" The arms glowed brighter as the smoke was dying off. L reappeared, wounds evident as the light was burning off his body.

"You insolent..." He growled before making a grab at her neck. She sidestepped and spun around to kick his side. He turned into smoke and from it smaller smoke trails appeared, and being much faster than him, wrapped themselves around Jackie. She tried to glow brighter again, but the smoke was just too fast for her, binding around her and turning into white marks around her skin.

L turned back to his physical form, smirking at his work. "You like? These should..." He closed his fist, and the action made Jackie squirm and gasp, as the white marks gripped her like a vise. The marks were around her arms, torso, and neck. As a result, she had the feeling that she was being suffocated. L grinned maniacally. "...make you the least bit uncomfortable. Oh don't worry, I won't kill you. You're far too precious for me to kill you. I'm just showing you that you have no hope of ever getting your boyfriend back."

Jackie couldn't form any coherent word with the marks choking her. L released the binds, but only a bit so that she can still feel pain, but not to the point of her fighting death.

"He's...not...my boyfriend—why do people keep making that assumption?!" She said.

L sighed, placing a hand on his face.

"Oh you stupid idiot. Everyone can see it. Even I can see it, so much that I want to throw up. You mortals and your feelings are quite confusing. They're a puzzle I can't seem to solve. Even when it's so obvious, so _fucking_ obvious, you two still won't confess and just get going with it. What is it with you mortals?!"

"You won't ever understand us. And you'll be locked in his prison forever." Jackie gave one more moment of defiance, even as the binds closed in on her more now. Her bracelet tried to transform, but it could not. Fed up with the item, L went to the girl and took the bracelet. She used her powers to fight the bindings, but it was tiring her out little by little.

"Now you have nothing left. Tell me, dear Jackie, have you ever felt this hopeless?" He asked.

However, the bindings began to thin out as well. "Yeah. When my mom and dad left me for good. But now that I have Levi, I won't ever feel like that again, just as how I still have hope now!" She broke free and jumped at L, who disappeared in smoke once more. Seconds later, he attacked, but the blonde anticipated it and punched at his chin, sending him crashing to the wall. He vanished.

"I have to admit, that was painful." He said, standing right behind her. Jackie turned and tried to strike, but he grabbed her hand. He then expended much of his darkness energy, blasting her through the wall.

"No more games. You will witness my takeover, and you are going to be mine." This time, he turned into pure energy, but still retained the likeness of his form. Jackie recovered and tried to punch again, only for her to be bound by the energies. She tried to free herself, but each attempt only made them tighter around her. Eventually she tired herself out, panting and breathing heavily, her energy all used up. Her eyes saw him and Levi glow black.

"Levi, if you're still there, please, wake up! Don't give in!" She said.

"It's too late dear girl! HE'S GONE, AND **HE'S NEVER COMING BACK!** " His voice turned into something even more sinister.

"NO! I can't believe that yet! Levi, please! You can't give up! I'm still here! We need you! I need you!" She pleaded.

" **THIS IS THE END! YOU MAY AS WELL SAY YOUR FINAL GOODBYES!"**

"No...I can't...this isn't the end..." She said, voice fading. Her half-lidded eyelids began to grow heavier against her. "Levi...if this is the end...then I'm so happy that I met you. I'm so happy that I had adventures with you. I know you're there. And...yes, I do admit it. I'm sorry that I didn't ever tell you that...I...I...I love...you..." The exhaustion took over as her voice faded, and she was unconscious.

L smirked, everything now complete. But he then felt his body go wrong. **"What the..."** He felt pain wrack all over his form. **"What is happening?! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!"**

" _Do you really think I'd let you take over my body like this? You may have locked me up with all my trauma... BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF HER THAT I'M STILL ALIVE!"_ Levi said from inside the mind. L's body glowed a different shade of darkness. It was less malevolent that his own, and it was obvious that Levi was getting his body back.

L growled. **"This isn't over. Soon enough, I will be back, and you will be gone!"** He said.

" _Yeah, I've heard of that before. But this time, I'm gonna put you down for as long as I can."_ L's body dissipated as he yelled out to the sky, and everything that floated up in the sky gently fell back down to its place on Earth. The sun rose, marking the end of this long night.

Star, Marco, and Janna saw all the residents stop fighting them and gently fell to the ground, asleep. All three sighed in relief. "It's over." Janna said. Star and Marco gave her a thumbs up.

Levi's eyes opened and sat up. He then took a deep breath. "It's good to have my body back, even though I lost control of it for a little over three hours." He said to himself. "Now where's—"His eyes immediately darted over to Jackie's unconscious form.

"Jackie!" He said, quickly getting out of bed and holding her.

"Wake up. Please." He whispered. As if on cue, her eyes slowly opened.

"Levi...is that you?" She said. He smiled.

"Yes. I'm here." He said. She smiled back.

"Then I'm glad." She nuzzled into his chest, smiling as a few tears rolled down her face.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Jackie spoke up again.

"Hey, wanna know something about today?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Today...today marks a year since we first met. And I haven't regretted being with you since."

His eyes slightly widened. "W-wow, really? Has it been that long? Heh. Honestly, being friends with you has been the best decision I've ever made in my life."

"I feel the same." The two hugged.

The confession went unheard, but it was obvious that Jackie held feelings for her best friend. She probably knew that he didn't hear it, but the confession still lifted a huge weight off her shoulders, as she finally admitted to herself that she loved him, and she would always stay by him.

The day was July 10. It would be a day the two would remember forever. And all was sound...for now.

* * *

"You're still worried for him, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. We're still family after all, even after many years, and even after what I did to him."

"But are you sure you're still willing to take that risk, somewhere down the line?"

"He's my brother. I'd do anything for him."

Silence soon followed.

"I don't like it. I might lose you for good, with your twisted sense and all."

"I won't die. I'm gonna make sure we both come out of it alive. You mean the world to me, and I hate to see you cry."

A chuckle followed. "What did I ever do to deserve you? You could've had anyone, but you chose me."

"Because you still loved me, even after what I had done."

"Of course I still did, you dummy. You're the only one I'll ever love. You're still you, Yannick."

* * *

 **AN: After two months of inactivity, I finally have the last chapter of the first part of this story! So, Levi's life sucks, what with the pressure of eventually becoming king and Shadow Levi threatening to take over his body and making his presence known now, but he still has his best friend and his close friends, so he'll be ready to face them head-on. And Jackie has confessed too! At least, to an unconscious Levi, who didn't hear it at all. But now there will be more stuff the two will face in Part 2 soon enough, and the timespan will be a little more compared to Part 1, where it only covered up at least a year of their friendship.**

 **But with the good news comes some not too good news.**

 **I'm gonna stop writing for the continuation of this story for now to focus on writing my other stories. No doubt, this story has been one of the best I've ever had, but honestly, I wasn't too happy with it. Yeah, I'm not too happy with one of my best stories I feel I've written. That, and a lot of other stuff that's been happening in my life. I'm probably gonna do some re-editing of all the chapters to clean them up, make them better to read, but other than that, I don't see Part 2 coming out in the near future. But I'll be back, for those who loved this story.**

 **Oh, and if anyone felt strange that I skipped the transition of the previous chapter to another for this one, don't worry. I WILL explore the past that Levi and Yannick had.**

 **If anyone has questions for the story overall, then go ahead and ask. I'll be sure to answer them either in another chapter or in a PM.**

 **That being said, what are your thoughts for the entire story? How would you rate it overall? These will be a big help when I begin writing Part 2 soon, so give out your thoughts in your reviews as much as you can.**

 **Until then, everyone.**


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